Carlos Enriquez (1900 - 1957)

Born in 1900 in Cuba, painter Carlos Enriquez was sent by his family to philadelphia at the age of 20 to study engineering. However, Enriquez’s true calling was art and so he enrolled at the Pennsylvania School of Fine Arts. He was later expelled from this learning academy given his rejection of the conventional discipline and teaching.

Soon returning to Cuba, he began to paint in earnest. He formed a part of what was the first generation of Cuba’s modern painters and some of his early work was put on display at the Exposición de Arte Nuevo (Exhibition of New Art) in 1927. He presented his very own art exhibition in 1930 and soon after traveled to Europe, settling down in Paris and joining the Surrealist movement. He painted one of his most famous pieces, El rapto de las mulatas in 1938. He painted many portraits, still life's and nudes.

Enriquez was also known for his writing, having written both essays and novels.

His first exhibition was held in 1906 which turned out to be a huge success with the public. This opened doors for him, with the government of Veracruz offering him a scholarship to continue his studies in Madrid, Spain. Enriquez spent the next several years in Europe, studying and traveling around France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Great Britain. This experience brought new influences into his work from the post-impressionist and the cubist movement.