The images and information presented below are for the instruction of students and scholarly research.
Leopoldo Romanach
(1862-1951)
Painter, teacher,
and world traveler, Leopoldo Romanach gave inspiration
to nearly three generations of Cuban painters. During
his lifetime, he gained great acclaim and won medals and
awards world-wide for his art. He carved a place for
himself among other painters during the Early Republic
period by using pure color methods, chiaroscuro and by
applying his European training in his art.
Born in Cuba, Romanach moved to Spain at a young age and
was schooled there most of his youth. At the age of
fifteen he moved back to Cuba and later on enrolled at
the San Alejandro Academy. He also received training in
Italy on grants and afterwards lived in New York City
for many years.
In 1900, he moved back to Cuba and became a professor at
his Alma Matter, the San Alejandro School. There, he
became inspiration for up and coming Cuban artists such
as Amelia Pelaéz. Though trained in the Classical form,
Romanach was very open to new methods of painting for
his students, and did not discourage them from modern
ideas.
Romanach is set apart from most well-known Cuban
painters because he was never really a part of the
Vanguard movement. Though he lived and worked in Cuba
during the height of its popularity, Romanach did not
choose to incorporate distinctly Cuban themes in his
paintings. He did not use the Caribbean color palate of
his contemporaries, nor did he paint Cuban myths or
symbols. One could look at his paintings and guess that
they were of any place in the world, and not necessarily
Cuba. For example, “Paisaje con Cascada” is a painting
of a waterfall.
Paisaje con Cascada
This could be of a
waterfall anywhere, and there are no clues as to whether
or not it is a Cuban landscape. Perhaps it was
Romanach's initial training in Rome that inspired him to
embrace a more “worldly” style, but it makes his work
distinct from other artists still today.
The bulk of Romanach's artistic oeuvre consists of
landscapes, though he also painted beautiful
portraiture, usually in the European style. However,
even his seascapes don’t initially give away a Cuban
essence, as one can see in “Marina”.
Marina, 1940
For this reason, some
of Romanach's work may have been wrongly authenticated
as Floridian or even European work. His seascapes
especially were reminiscent of those done by European
Impressionists, and a palm tree would be the only thing
that contrasts his work from theirs. From the blurry
shoreline to the wispy clouds in an intense blue sky,
Romanach's seascapes take on a highly European feel.
Though his themes were not highly Cuban, political or
innovative in nature, his work was stunning nonetheless.
At times, he has an almost Impressionistic hand, but his
portraiture is almost always photo Realistic—with a hint
of Expressionism. Take for instance, his chiaroscuro
laden portrait “Viejo Barba Blanca”.
Viejo Barba Blanca, 1940
This portrait has all
of the Classical elements used by the old masters, but
the subject is given a depth and personality that is
usually lost by other artists.
One way to tell whether or not you own a piece of art by
Romanach is to look for his signature. Unlike most
artists, he would often sign in the upper right hand
corner, underlining his name. There is no mistaking his
signature. In the beginning of his career while he was
in school at San Alejandro, Romanach produced many
sketches. However, it is his oil paintings he is best
known for, so it is possible that there are some
sketches of his still floating around, not
authenticated.
Romanach's work has been displayed world-wide and is
currently housed in Cuba and Miami. He is still
remembered today as a great art teacher, and
accomplished and award winning Cuban painter.
