Graphic design and book covers

The magic of a good read is found in a good plot, enigmatic characters and a good storyline that keeps us in suspense and surprises us. Of course, the cover of any book also has a lot to say, especially if you are choosing one to give on the day of Sant Jordi. We present a selection of book covers created by graphic designers that have stood out in the last decades in our country.

Surrealism and Dadaism

You probably have a “Daniel Gil” at home, and maybe you didn’t know it. This designer, born in Santander, created almost two thousand book covers for the El libro de Bolsillo collection from Alianza Editorial. And he did so with a transgressive style he himself defined as being "halfway between Surrealism and Dadaism." Some of his creations are held in the Museum.

From Raimon to noir fiction

Another cover designer you can find in the museum, in this case from Barcelona, ​​is Jordi Fornas. You will recognise him by the famous covers of Edigsa de Raimon records, although he devoted himself to modernising culture made in Catalan, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. He commissioned the covers of the La cua de palla noir fiction collection from Edicions 62, playing with the Helvetica typeface and using only two inks: yellow and black.

Italian design and Spanish literature

Another classic found on many domestic shelves: the Espasa Calpe collection, the first pocket collection from the publisher. In this case, the painter and graphic designer from Lombardy, Attilio Rossi, was charged with giving them vivid colours and pixelated background images.