All of us who have studied basic education in Mexico had at some point a direct interaction with the free books provided by the Ministry of Public Education; these unique books with the smell of Crayola and sheets of recycled paper with which the vast majority of the Mexican population began their education. And it is possible that at an early age we may have been concerned or interested in some of the book covers (at least it was for me) but we were too young in elementary school to be able to investigate and/or appreciate the works and artists behind them.

That is why, to enrich the memory of these covers, we prepared this small article about the artists behind the covers of the 1993 edition, to better understand that they were not only beautiful works that decorated our education, but that they were carefully selected taking into account their contribution to Mexican culture.

1. Spanish Readings, 1st grade: “Clay Toy from Metepec” by Roberto Montenegro

Of these books, perhaps the majority remember the unique dog with strange spots that appeared on the cover of the Spanish Reading book in first grade, which contained the peculiar story of the mouse that changed its feet, hands and nose on the way to visit his mother. The cover of this book corresponds to Roberto Montenegro, an artist from Guadalajara who participated in muralism and modernism, contributing an art style that believed in the popular culture of Mexico.

2. The Atlas of Mexico, 4th grade: “Untitled” by Rufino Tamayo

The Atlas of Mexico is perhaps the book that caused the most discord in the childhood of Mexicans due to its enormous size that was impossible to fit inside a normal backpack. The author of this cover is Rufino Tamayo, a Mexican artistic figure of great relevance due to his participation in both Mexican muralism and the rupture movement. He is perhaps most easily identified by Watermelons he depicted on several occasions.

3. History, 4th grade: “Miguel Hidalgo” by José Clemente Orozco

Along with Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, José Clemente Orozco is recognized as one of the 3 great pillars of Mexican muralism. His art is characterized by having many influences from the expressionist movement, resulting in works where pain, violence and dynamism are almost palpable for the viewer. Many of his murals refer to the history of the Mexican people, and can be visited in the Casa de los Azulejos (CDMX), in the Palace of Fine Arts (CDMX) and in the Government Palace of Jalisco (GDJ).

4. Mathematics, 4th grade: “Presence No. III” by Fernando García Ponce

Belonging to the Rupture Movement, Fernando García Ponce was an artist from the capital recognized for being a faithful representative of abstract art. García Ponce was not limited to painting; He liked to experiment with different materials such as paper, wood, magazine clippings and more, which he put together to make collages of various dimensions. Today, the collection of his works and the redrawer on which he worked can be visited at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Yucatán (MACAY).

5. Spanish readings, fifth grade: “La ofrenda” by Saturnino Herrán

Saturnino Herrán was a hydro-warm artist who combined modern art with indigenism and the growing nationalism of the early 20th century. His works are characterized by portraying people under a realistic lens (with their defects and virtues, without idealizing) and by celebrating the indigenous communities of Mexico, something that can be appreciated in his work “La Ofrenda”.

6. Atlas of Universal Geography: “Phenomenon of Weightlessness” by Remedios Varo

Originally from Spain, Remedios Varo, along with her colleague Leonora Carrington, found during their exile in Mexico a place where her art could grow. With great admiration for indigenous mysticism, her works have this magical and dreamlike atmosphere, where men, women and fantastic beings are presented as equals, and a story is shown about the origin of the world, birds, weightlessness, among others. Today her art is increasingly appreciated by the international community, reaching auction records that were previously inconceivable for Hispanic women, excluding Frida Kahlo.

7. Natural Sciences, third grade: “Flora and fauna of the Plio-Pleistocene Quaternary period” by José María Velasco

José María Velasco was the greatest exponent of Mexican landscaping in the 19th century, a movement that sought to expose our natural wealth. Before this movement, some within Mexican society at the time expressed that landscaping was an exclusive trend in Europe, because Mexico did not have “such beautiful views.” This of course prompted artists like Velasco to demonstrate that this was not only false, but that Mexico had its own natural beauty, different from European beauty, but not negligible or less valuable for that reason. Currently, his landscapes can be enjoyed in the permanent exhibition of the National Museum of Art (MUNAL) in Mexico City.

8. Spanish, third grade: “Portrait of Sor Juana Inés” by Miguel Cabrera

Miguel Cabrera is by far the oldest artist on this list. He is so old that he cannot even be considered Mexican, since he was born and lived during the viceregal era when the territory was still “New Spain.” Throughout his life, Cabrera painted religious art (typical of the time), particularly the “Marian” theme (of the Virgin Mary). The most famous portrait of the poet Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz is attributed to him, who died in the same year of the artist's birth (1695).

9. Geography, sixth grade: “The Volcanoes” by Dr. Atl

Gerardo Murillo, also known as “Dr. Atl”, was a landscape artist and volcanologist, whose passion for mountains and volcanoes led him to make them his main protagonists. He was a person with a strong political and artistic participation in the country, and he is noted as one of the people who most incited the birth of mural art in Mexico; Dr. Atl believed that the country needed post-revolutionary art that would appropriate public spaces.

Another of his legacies was the creation of ATL oil paintings that to this day can be purchased in art supply stores in Mexico.

10. History, 5th grade: “Juarez, symbol of the Republic against French intervention” by Antonio González Orozco

Of all the artists on this list, Antonio González Orozco is the most recent (1933 – 2020) and perhaps also the least known. Originally from Chihuahua, González Orozco was a disciple of Diego Rivera and artist-restorer of Chapultepec Castle. He worked in various artistic techniques such as painting, screen printing, engraving, drawing and sculpture, and left 2 works in the Chapultepec Castle that would be his legacy for the country: “Triumphal Entry of Benito Juárez to Mexico City ” (1967) and the cover of the SEP “Juárez, symbol of the Republic against French intervention” (1972).