Paisaje

Born in Havana, Emilio Rivero Merlin gained a scholarship to San Alejandro and became one of Cuba’s finest plastic artists. His paintings generally portrayed city life in Havana, and strayed away from Classical styling for an almost impressionistic feel. Merlin would eventually travel to Spain to study at the School of Fine Arts in San Fernando, where he ended up settling.

Though Merlin was known for his pictorial landscapes, Merlin was also a sculptor. Today, Merlin may be one of the most forgotten of the great Cuban artists. While art students and contemporary artists in Cuba may be familiar with his work, he is generally not known worldwide. 

Among his many accomplishments, it is said that Merlin was the first black student to graduate from an art school. He was also a director of sorts, and helped to produce a film made in Morocco in 1923, which would later be shown in Havana. Merlin also returned to San Alejandro as so many artists did to serve as a professor.

Today, Merlin’s work is housed all over Cuba, and especially in the gallery which bears his name in Havana. He has studied, traveled and exhibited literally all over the world to the United States, Mexico, Africa, Argentina, Granada, Italy and Spain. His extensive travels combined with his generally unknown status make the possibility for some of his unknown or unauthenticated work to surface great.

Merlin’s works were colorful and even though he is not a household name, his paintings are highly respected in the Cuban art world. His portraits equaled that of any European artist, and were perhaps some of his best works.

Do you Do you think you may own a piece of art by Emilio Rivero Merlin? We would be happy to assist you in an art authentication by this great Cuban artist.