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. 

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.

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.