Great Masters of Cuban Art: 1800 to 1958

Edward E. and Jane B. Ford Gallery & The Gary R. Libby Entry Court
December 7, 2007 through September 1, 2008

This must-see exhibition has received rave reviews from the Wall Street Journal, London’s Art Newspaper, the Miami Herald and many other noteworthy publications.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of The Cuban Foundation Museum, MOAS is proud to present over ninety important Cuban artworks selected from the Ramos Collection.  Included are life-size paintings, elegant portraits, romantic landscapes, and still lifes filled with ripe, luscious fruits.

Great Masters of Cuban Art showcases paintings filled with movement and emotion that focus on five major themes beloved by Cuban artists: portraits, landscapes, music, religion, and the history of Cuba. Together these themes present the observer with visions of a lost Cuba. Featured Artists Include: Leopoldo Romañach, Esteban Valderrama, Antonio Sanchez Araujo, Evelio Garcia-Mata, Armando Menocal and Oscar Garcia-Rivera.

The collection was formed by Cuban born, Miami art collectors, Roberto and Carlos Ramos who have amassed over 400 Cuban oil paintings. The Ramos brothers focused on recovering the works of a generation of artists whose well-documented accomplishments are indicative of a thriving pre-1958 cultural environment. The Ramos brothers overcame the challenges posed by distance, time, and governmental impediments to rescue both the artworks and the archival art history of the Cuban Republic (1902-1958).

Wayne David Atherholt, MOAS Executive Director notes, “When Chief Curator, Cynthia Duval and I first visited with Roberto in Miami, we were overwhelmed with the vibrant colors, lyrical landscapes and dazzling portraits in his collection as well as the amount and depth of research and archival material he and his team have established.” 

The Cuban Foundation Museum, housed at the Museum of Arts & Sciences, is home to one of the most important collections of Cuban fine and folk art outside of Cuba. The collection chronicles 300 years of Cuban history and art in more than 200 objects.