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Domingo Ramos
(1894-1956)
Paisaje y Montana
Very little is
known about the so-called leader of “Cuban
Impressionism,” Domingo Ramos. Little oral history has
been passed down about his life, but he is otherwise a
mystery in the Cuban art world. Though little
biographical work about Ramos has been left behind, his
landscapes still remain and serve as a reminder of
quieter times in Cuba.
It is said that he was born in Havana and attended the
San Alejandro Academy in 1907. He has been called one of
the most accomplished and beloved of Cuban landscape
artists, as well as the pre-cursor to Cuban
Impressionism.
Mural
His use of Pointillist
styling in the vegetation on his landscapes is a mark of
his travels to Europe. He left Cuba in 1918 to study in
Spain at the San Fernando School in Madrid. He returned
to Cuba a year later and was shortly thereafter named a
professor at his Alma matter, San Alejandro.
Ramos was fairly successful during his lifetime, and won
a number of awards in New York, Europe and of course,
Cuba. In general, he is best known for his landscapes
particularly of the Pinar del Rio region some 120 miles
west of Havana. This area is rich in vegetation, and was
a perfect place for Ramos to employ his use of tropical
colors and beautiful lighting techniques.
Paisaje Con Rio
Paisaje Con Costa de Lago
Though little is known
of Ramos outside of Cuba, many contemporary Cuban
artists seemed to revere him. They often put him up on
the same pedestal as a Romanach as being one of the
great teachers of Cuban art. It was also said that
during the 1940s and 50s in Cuba, he was the most highly
appraised artists besides Wilfredo Lam. During his
career, he exhibited his work in over twenty one-man
shows, and was considered a very prolific painter.
Today, Ramos' work is housed in national collections in
Cuba as well as in Madrid, New York and other corners of
the world. Because the details of Ramos's life have not
been as greatly documented as his contemporaries, his
work is sometimes put under fire. However, we have the
resources to determine whether you own a real Domingo
Ramos original or not.
