Illustrations by José Cisneros (1910 - 2009)

Renowned artist José Cisneros was a world-class illustrator of U.S., Mexican, and Spanish history, and was especially known for his drawings of horses and horsemen. In 2002, President Bush, who collected Cisneros's work, awarded him the National Humanities Medal. King Juan Carlos of Spain knighted him in 1991 to honor his contributions to the understanding of history. In 1988, the Institute of Texan Cultures commissioned Cisneros to create these illustrations of Spanish Colonial Life.