José María Cruz Novillo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José María Cruz Novillo
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| Born | 21 May 1936 Cuenca, Spain
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| Died | 2 May 2026 (aged 89) |
| Monuments | Escuela de Arte Cruz Novillo |
| Other names | Cruz Novillo |
| Occupation | Designer |
| Known for | logos |
José María Cruz Novillo (born May 21, 1936 – died May 2, 2026) was a very talented Spanish artist. He was a sculptor, engraver, painter, and designer. He helped many companies and organizations in Spain create new, modern looks for their brands after a big change in the country's history.
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Contents
A Life in Art and Design
Early Life and Big Projects
José María Cruz Novillo started painting in his hometown in 1950. In 1958, he moved to Madrid, a big city in Spain. He even worked for the Spanish display at the New York World's Fair in 1964. This was a huge international event.
Creating Famous Logos
Cruz Novillo became famous for designing many well-known logos. A logo is a special symbol or design used by a company or organization. He created logos for the newspaper El Mundo and the radio station COPE. He also designed the logo for Correos, which is the Spanish postal service. Other famous logos he made include those for Endesa, Banco Pastor, and Repsol. He even designed logos for Renfe railways and the Spanish police. He also designed some peseta banknotes, which were the money used in Spain before the Euro. He helped create the coat of arms and the flag for the Community of Madrid. His design studio also won a competition to create the new look for the Government of Spain.
Designing Movie Posters
He also designed many eye-catching posters for movies. Some of these films include The Spirit of the Beehive, El Sur, Ana and the Wolves, and Mondays in the Sun. Many of these posters were for movies made by the famous producer Elías Querejeta.
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Artistic Explorations: The "Diafragma" Concept
As a sculptor, he showed his art in many important exhibitions. These included the São Paulo Art Biennial and the 1964 World's Fair in New York City. He also displayed his sculptures at major art fairs like ARCO.
In the 1990s, Cruz Novillo started creating art based on his "Diafragma" idea. These artworks often mixed different elements. They could include single colors, sounds, photos, or 3D shapes. For example, in 2008, he created a huge artwork for a building in Madrid. It was called "Diafragma Decafónico de Dígitos" and even included sound. He also made a special artwork that combined time, color, and sound. It was designed to play for millions of years!
Working with Family and Honored Recognition
In 2007, Cruz Novillo started a design studio called Cruz más Cruz. He worked there with his son, Pepe, who is also a designer and architect.
In 2006, he became a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando. This is a very important art institution in Spain.
José María Cruz Novillo passed away on May 2, 2026, when he was 89 years old. He left behind a wonderful legacy of art and design.
Designing the PSOE Logo
In 1977, Cruz Novillo created a new logo for the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). This is a political party in Spain. The logo featured a fist and rose. This symbol was already used by other similar parties around the world. Cruz Novillo's design was very popular. Another political party, the Socialist Party of Albania, even started using his version of the logo.
Gallery
Logos
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COPE
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The Renfe trains displayed this logo from 1972 until 1989.
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The fist and rose logo of the PSOE, in the version used between 1977 and 1998.
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This logo for the Banco Popular is no longer in use.
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A Repsol logo like in this gas station could be found along the Spanish roads.
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Diario 16 used this masthead from 1976 to 1984.
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A letterbox in 2018 with the 1977 Correos logo.
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Antena 3 used this logo starting from 1982.
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Red Eléctrica de España, 1987.
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TVE used this logo from 1982 until 1990.
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Coat of arms of the Community of Madrid, 1984.
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Flag of the Community of Madrid, 1984.
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Cuerpo Nacional de Policía, 1986.
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Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, 2012.
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Awards and Recognition
- National Design Prize (1997): This is a very important award for designers in Spain.
- LAUS Prize (1978)
- AEPD Prize (1993, 1995, 1996, and 2001)
- National Painting Prize CCM (2002)
- FAD Medal (2006)
- Prize from the Society of News Design (2006): For his excellent work on the newspaper El Economista.
- Castilla-La Mancha Design Prize (2008)
- Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts (2012): A high honor from the Spanish government.
- Gráffica Prize (2017)
See also
In Spanish: José María Cruz Novillo para niños
