Armando José Isabel García-Menocal y García-Menocal (1863 – 1942), commonly known as Armando Menocal, was a

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

n painter and educator.

Biography and career

Menocal was born on July 8, 1863, in Havana,

Captaincy General of Cuba The Captaincy General of Cuba () was an administrative district of the Spanish Empire created in 1607 as part of Habsburg Spain's attempt to better defend and administer its Caribbean possessions. The reform also established captaincies general i ...

, Spanish Empire (now Cuba). He first studied at the

Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes San Alejandro Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes San Alejandro, is the oldest and most prestigious fine arts school in Cuba. It is also known as Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes "San Alejandro", Academia San Alejandro, or San Alejandro Academy. The school is lo ...

in his native city, under Miguel Melero. In 1880 he went to

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

for further study with

Francisco Jover y Casanova Francisco Jover y Casanova (1836, Muro de Alcoy - 19 February 1890, Madrid) was a Spanish painter of historical scenes and portraits. Biography After beginning his artistic studies in his hometown, he attended the Real Academia de Bellas Artes ...

. In Spain he also became acquainted with the work of

Joaquín Sorolla Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (27 February 1863 – 10 August 1923) was a Spanish painter. Sorolla excelled in the painting of portraits, landscapes, and monumental works of social and historical themes. His most typical works are characterized by ...

and the thinking of

Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo (; 3 November 1856 – 19 May 1912) was a Spanish scholar, historian and literary critic. Even though his main interest was the history of ideas, and Hispanic philology in general, he also cultivated poetry, transl ...

. He also exhibited in Spain, winning numerous awards. Menocal later returned to Cuba to join the Liberation Forces in the

Cuban War of Independence The Cuban War of Independence (), also known in Cuba as the Necessary War (), fought from 1895 to 1898, was the last of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain, the other two being the Ten Years' War (1868–1878) and the Litt ...

; upon its completion, he dedicated himself to the teaching of art, returning to his alma mater as a professor of

landscape painting Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is the depiction in painting of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, rivers, trees, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view—with its elements arranged into a cohe ...

. In 1927 he was named director; in 1940 he became director

emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

. One of his notable students was

Pastor Argudín Pedroso Pastor Argudín Pedroso (1880 – 1968), also known as Pastor Argudín Y Pedroso, was an Afro–Cuban portrait and genre painter, and teacher. He was internationally exhibited and was awarded the Order of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes by the Repu ...

. His paintings decorated many public buildings around Havana, and today may be seen in the

Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana The National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana (Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana) in Havana, Cuba is a museum of fine arts that exhibits Cuban art collections from the colonial times up to contemporary generations. History It was founded o ...

. He was also a member of Cuba's National Academy of Arts and Letters. He died on September 28, 1942, in Havana.

References

Biography
at Cernuda Arte 1863 births 1942 deaths Artists from Havana 19th-century Cuban painters 19th-century male artists 20th-century Cuban painters 20th-century Cuban male artists Cuban male painters {{Cuba-painter-stub