Manuel Vega Lopez
was born in Pinar del Rio in 1892. He moved to Havana in
1908 and attended school at San Alejandro. He graduated
in 1912, and traveled to Europe. There, he studied
mainly in the Italian school of art where he painted a
number of oil paintings.
In 1919, Lopez returned to Cuba. He became a professor
at his Alma Matter, San Alejandro in 1926, teaching
drawing and painting. Eventually, Lopez became the
fourteenth director of this illustrious art school.
Lopez’s work is mainly poetic landscapes or religious
themed scenes. He was also known for his intricate
detail, and his love for painting nature. |
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Although it was
popular to change styles during this period, Lopez did
not sway from his classical style. The Vanguard movement
was very strong, and Abstract and other new styles were
on the rise. Nonetheless, Lopez stood his ground and
stayed true to his Italian teachings by painting in a
Realist way.
Despite hard times, Lopez always managed to sell his
paintings during his lifetime. For this reason, most of
his work is owned in private collections, and only a
very few are housed in museums, such as Cuba’s Nation
Museum. Like many Cuban painters, Lopez’s work isn’t
generally well known—but a valuable piece of Cuban art
history just the same.
His travels to Europe further increase the possibility
of some of his art surfacing, unknown or otherwise
unauthenticated. |
