Domingo Ramos Enríquez, Mamey Pond, 1954 Image ©Ramos Brothers Collection

GREAT MASTERS OF CUBAN ART (1800-1958)

Great Masters of Cuban Art (1800-1958) returns to the public eye masterpieces that had been out of public view for half a century. With its assembly of eighty five rare and spectacular paintings the exhibition amends the existing picture of Cuba’s history and art and acts as a window into the distinct culture and identity that developed on this largest of Caribbean islands.

The Cuban Revolution of 1959 transformed not only the island’s political environment but also its artistic and intellectual landscape. A new Cuba demanded a new art and a new history. It required an art for the revolutionary present and a history that prepared the country for a post-revolutionary future. Artistic achievements of the past were measured by their utility for the present; a not uncommon pattern of history making but one that resulted in an incomplete record of artistic activity and creative accomplishment. Painters working in the traditional academic style or those who chose exile all but vanished from the annals of Cuban art. It is in front of this backdrop that the present exhibition takes stage. Great Masters of Cuban Art (1800–1958) aims to fill the gaps of a written history that is all too concerned with the future by shaping a more complete picture of Cuba’s rich and diverse artistic heritage.

The works in this exhibition date from the Colonial Period (1800-1898) and the Cuban Republic (1902-1958). Arranged into categories of subject matter and style they bring to light Cuba’s distinct culture and history. The paintings by artists such as Leopoldo Romañach, Esteban Valderrama, Antonio Sanchez Araujo, Evelio Garcia-Mata, Armando Menocal and Oscar Garcia-Riviera highlight the stylistic variety and scope of pre-revolutionary Cuban art. Many of the works resonate with the artistic traditions of the European academic style. Others reflect the modernist currents of their time. Whether they articulate their subjects in the visual language of traditionalism or the avant-garde, at the heart of every work are the stories told by Cuba itself – its history, its people, its music, its landscapes and the daily realities of urban and rural life on the island.

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated three hundred-page catalogue, a publication that moves far beyond the mere documentation of an art exhibit. The cumulative result of more than twenty years of research, the book incorporates rare archival materials that add definition to the largely understudied artistic and historical context of the works and their creators.

Great Masters of Cuban Art (1800–1958) is an exhibition of stunning visual appeal and historical interest. It is a painted document of more than a century of history and art. Most importantly, it is the visual record of a land famous for its beauty and fertility and a culture renowned for its vibrant artistic, literary and musical heritage.

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