Fernando Castro Pacheco (January 26, 1918 – August 8, 2013) was a Mexican painter, engraver, illustrator, printmaker and teacher.

As well as being known for traditional artistic forms, Castro Pacheco illustrated several children’s books and produced works in sculpture.

Castro Pacheco spent six years at the school and produced many works during this early period in his artistic career.

The Taller is associated with popular political movements in Mexico during this time that included “progressive democratic” ideas and support for union workers and people of the lower classes.

[3] According to some sources he was a somewhat important artist at the Taller, producing engravings and prints that exemplified the face of the poor and suffering in Mexico.

According to other sources Castro Pacheco’s role at the Taller was brief and limited, only participating in one show with the group upon his arrival in Mexico City.

Notable examples include La flauta de caña by Fernando Espejo and Los pozos sagrados by Miguel Alvarez Acosta.

Moving away from tradition canvas, he is credited with producing the scenery for the ballet productions Guernica and La nube estéril at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City in 1953.

Remaining a prominent and active artist, in 1963 Castro Pacheco earned a commission from the Institución Nacional de Bellas Artes to travel to countries including Spain, Italy, France, England, the Netherlands and Belgium in order to study the artistic styles of these countries.

Well established as an artist, Castro Pacheco’s most well known works may be the murals that he completed between 1971 and 1979 for the states of Yucatán and Querétaro in Mexico.

A traditional creation myth of the native tribes is also depicted by Castro Pacheco in his work Hombres de maiz.

[4] To date Castro Pacheco remains a Mexican artist of note, especially in Mérida where some of his most famous works are maintained.

Collections of his work remain on display at the Galería de Arte Mexicano in Mexico City and at the Museo MACAY in Mérida.

Early distempers, oils and watercolors on the other hand created by Castro Pacheco use soft colors and pencil outlines to capture the beauty and fluidity of rural life in Mérida.

Drawing on the influences of the outdoor school, images of livestock are displayed using warm brown tones in his 1941 work El corral de la hacienda.

A large amount of his concentration on landscapes, perspective and human form are seen in his water-color snap shots of people performing everyday activities.