Arte e Historia

Arte e Historia

en la colección de Artes Visuales del Banco Popular Dominicano

Obras ejemplares en colección: «Caoba negra», madera tallada, 87x20x81 cms., 1960
v «Abstracta», madera tallada, 18 pulgs., de altura, s.f. v «Sin título», escultura en caoba,
30x30 cms., s.f. v «Sin título», escultura en caoba policromada, 129 cms., de altura, 1998 v
«Menina», escultura en caoba y pintura, 170 cms., de altura, s.f.

Luichi Martínez Richiez. (San Pedro de Macorís, 1928/Santo Domingo, 2005).

Considerado el maestro dominicano que ha llevado la escultura al más alto nivel inter-
nacional. Tiene obras permanentes en el Museo de Arte Moderno de Paris, exponiendo
en diez ocasiones de manera individual en la capital de Francia. Con obras públicas mo-
numentales en áreas abiertas en Santo Domingo y en Seúl, Corea del Sur, son inconta-
bles los premios que ha obtenido y participado en importantes eventos colectivos.

Obras ejemplares en colección: «Sin título». Escultura en caoba, 245 cms., de alto,
1987 v «Sin título», escultura en caoba, 29 cms., de alto, s.f. v «Vertical orgánica», escul-
tura en caoba, 197 cms., de altura, 1987.

«Vertical orgánica»
Luichi Martínez Richiez

«El nudillo»
Ramiro Matos

«Sin título»
Luichi Martínez Richiez

«Abstracción»
José Ramón Rotellini
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Danilo De los Santos

Ramiro Matos. (Azua, 1977). Recibió orientación de Antonio

Prats-Ventós. Alcanzó el Tercer Premio de Escultura en la Bienal
Nacional de 1974 y el primero en la XIV Bienal (1979). Inicial-
mente trabaja la talla en madera con estilo abstracto, después se
apoya en recursos industriales. El hierro y la fibra de vidrio le
permiten producir obras en congelados movimientos ascenden-
tes y expansivos. Militar de carrera, ha producido trabajos para el
espacio exterior como el Monumento de la Restauración.

Obra ejemplar en colección «El Nudillo», hierro y masilla plás-
tica, 126 cms., altura, 1987.

José Ramón Rotellini. (Santo Domingo, 1941). Con estudios

en la Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes, donde recibe premios es-
colares en dibujo y escultura, hace postgrado en la Academia San

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Fernando de Madrid, España. En 1969 registra su primera individual, con-
curriendo a diversos certámenes nacionales y recibiendo galardones como
escultor: primeros premios en el Concurso de Arte León Jimenes de 1969

y 1971, así como en las bienales nacionales. Produce por igual esculturas
en metal soldado, madera tallada, barro moldeado y medios ensamblados.
Es autor de obras públicas en grandes dimensiones, siendo conjugador de
la abstracción, el expresionismo y de la figuración académica.

Obra ejemplar en colección: «Abstracción III», caoba tallada, 69 cms.,
de alto, s.f.

Gaspar Mario Cruz. (San Francisco de Macorís, 1925/Santo Domingo

2006). En 1948 ingresa a la Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes, siendo un
tallador autodidacta. Es orientado directamente por el maestro español
Manolo Pascual. Vinculado a la generación artística del 1950, obtiene
primer premio de escultura en la Bienal de 1956, ingresando al cuerpo
docente del plantel donde se forma. En 1958 obtiene primer premio de
la IX Bienal Nacional y el segundo de la X Bienal (1960). En 1964 registra
su primera exposición personal. Logró el premio de escultura en el Primer
Concurso de Arte León Jimenes. Considerado un maestro nacional su estilo
revela modernidad cargada de referencias populares y románticas, extraídas
de troncos voluminosos. Se le considera un «primitivo» moderno.

Obras ejemplares en colección: «Sin título», caoba tallada, 80x30
cms., s.f. v «Sin título», caoba tallada, 82cms., de alto, s.f. v «Calitomé»,
caoba tallada, 154 cms., de altura, 1991.

José Nicolás Jiménez. (Palmar, sección Salcedo, 1945/San Juan de

la Maguana 19..). Estudió en la Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes en el
período (1963-1969). Ganó varios premios escolares en dibujo (1964)
y en escultura, consecutivamente, en 1966, 1967 y 1969. Al graduarse,
prosiguió formación en la Universidad de Perugia, cursando escultura

y cerámica industrial, e igualmente en el Instituto Estatal de Arte,
en Florencia, Italia. Premio de escultura en la Bienal Nacional de
1972, su pieza «El Mutilado», cuyo dramático realismo recordaba al
maestro Auguste Rodin.

Obras ejemplares en colección: «Abstracción», mármol tallado, 13
pulgs., de altura, s.f. v «Sin título», mármol tallado, 18 pulgs., de altura, s.f.

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Danilo De los Santos

«Sin título»
Gaspar Mario Cruz

«Abstracción»
José Nicolás Jiménez

305



Domingo Batista: El arte de la fotografía

Oriundo de Santiago de los Caballeros (Nace en 1946), se vincula al movimiento de la fotografía con-
temporánea al ingresar en 1969 al movimiento grupal Jueves 68, convirtiéndose en un perseguidor vehe-
mente del instante, avizor en estado de sitio y caminante apasionado de rutas nacionales. En 1991, Manuel
A Grullón, Presidente del Banco Popular, se refiere a su discurso y libro «Tiempo de Luz»:

«El Banco Popular, en su sostenido empeño por contribuir al desarrollo del arte nacional, se complace al acoger
en esta legendaria Casa del Cordón, la exposición «Tiempo de Luz», de Domingo Batista, maestro del arte fotográfi-
co en nuestro país. Se trata de una colección de fotografías originales en blanco y negro, emparentadas con las de su
último libro del mismo título publicado por nuestro artista del lente, en las que se advierte su exquisito manejo de la
técnica del infrarrojo. Batista inició formalmente su quehacer artístico hace muchos años, como miembro integrante
del Grupo Fotográfico Jueves 68. Desde entonces no ha cesado de crear, convirtiendo su trabajo fotográfico en un
arte depurado de perfiles románticos y optimistas. En sus numerosas exposiciones individuales ha mostrado siempre
esa capacidad de asombrarse al contemplar las escenas naturales y los grupos humanos del país, para luego deslum-
brarnos con sus poéticas imágenes llenas de radiante colorido. Podemos decir que Batista ha creado un estilo de ver
su tierra y sus gentes. Sus fotografías desentrañan la calidez y la esperanza de nuestro pueblo. El Banco Popular
congratula al maestro Domingo Batista por el hermoso libro que recoge su más reciente producción, y en especial por
la muestra fotográfica que hoy abrimos al público con beneplácito». (M.A.G., presentación «Tiempo de Luz»,
Domingo Batista, septiembre 2, 1993).

Obras ejemplares en colección: «Tiempo de luz 22. Río Bao, Valle de Bao», fotografía blanco y negro, 30x40
cms., 1993 v «Tiempo de luz 7», fotografía blanco y negro, 20x30 cms., 1993 v «Tiempo de luz 6. Río Bao, Mata Gran-
de», fotografía blanco y negro, 24x30 cms., 1993 v «Tiempo de luz 5. Río San Rafael, Caribe Infrarrojo», fotografía
blanco y negro, 24x30 cms., 1993 v «Tiempo de luz. Tronco y Luna», fotografía blanco y negro, 20x40 cms., 1993
v «Tiempo de luz 3. Casita de Villa Altagracia», fotografía blanco y negro, 24x30 cms., 1993 v «Tiempo de luz 9»,
fotografía blanco y negro, 24x30 cms., 1993 v «Paisaje», fotografía color/papel, 40x49 cms., 1984 v «Paisaje II», fo-
tografía color/papel, 50x39 cms., 1984 v «Valle Nuevo. Exbosque», fotografía color/papel, 39x50 cms., s.f. «Acerca
de la muerte», blanco y negro/papel…

«Acerca de la muerte»
Domingo Batista

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Arte e Historia

en la colección de Artes Visuales del Banco Popular Dominicano

Ansel Adams, maestro norteamericano de la fotografía en carta de 1982 le escribe «Querido Domingo
Batista gracias por el libro que acaba de llegarme. He disfrutado ojearlo. Puedo ver que usted ha trabajado larga
y durmamente y también que siente gran amor por su arte! Continúe con el buen trabajo. Decididamente le deseo
suerte!».

Pedro Mir, poeta nacional, escribió en 1995 lo siguiente: «Domingo Batista tiene la facultad indomable de
conducirnos al corazón de las cosas. Hoy más que nunca confío en su arte para transitar los senderos de la luz; la del
sol y la del alma».

Juan Bosch, escritor y expresidente de la República escribe en 1989: «Para hacer con una cámara lo que hace
Domingo Batista se requiere tener ojos capaces de aprehender colores, matices y volúmnes que perciben nada más los que

«Tormenta en Samaná», Domingo Batista.

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Danilo De los Santos

han traído a la vida las condiciones de creador… Porque hay que vivir largos años para hallar el ser privilegiado que
puede convertir un instrumento de acero y cristal como es una cámara fotográfica en un pintor de esos que nacen a
razón de uno en cada siglo».

Jeannette Miller en su libro «Historia de la fotografía dominicana, tomo 2», señala: «En 1980 Domin-
go Batista (1946) obtiene el primer premio de fotografía de la revista internacional Geomundo y este importante
reconocimiento lo sitúa definitivamente como una de las cabezas del movimiento fotográfico dominicano que se
había venido llevando a cabo a partir de 1968 con la fundación del Grupo Fotográfico Jueves 68. (…) El color y el
paisaje han sido los elementos distintivos de una obra que superó la gratuidad y la belleza del entorno isleño para
penetrarlo con la significación de una voluntad divina que lo propone en constante mutación, por lo que su trabajo

«Playa La Entrada, Cabrera», Domingo Batista.

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Arte e Historia

en la colección de Artes Visuales del Banco Popular Dominicano

permanentemente plantea nuevas visiones sobre el tema de la isla, sus gentes, su entorno, sus formas de vida y los
lugares donde habitan».

Danilo De los Santos, autor de esta obra, en la década de los ochenta escribió a propósito de
una exposición individual y comentaba en «Isla Abierta», suplemento de Hoy»: «Con Domingo Batista
no podemos tener economías de juicio para reconocerlo en sus afanes humanos, con sus logros públicos, pero
sobre todo con su trabajo de constancia artística, en el que la calidad ha primado tanto como su sinceridad.
No hacemos rodeo en considerarlo tan buen fotógrafo como buen artista, reconociendo que muchos nombres de
la fotografía dominicana podemos encontrarlo primero, pero no lo segundo, porque la fotografía como arte no
consiste en una manipulación de procedimientos mecánicos, sino en una disciplinada maduración de lo que ha

«Jicomé. Caribe infrarrojo», Domingo Batista.

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Danilo De los Santos

de ser el medio para expresar talento, sensibilidad y conciencia. Fotógrafo que no es artista es un hacedor a secas.
El artista que es fotógrafo es el que sabe ponerle significado a lo que hace. En Domingo Batista, apreciamos
esta última condición».

Marianne de Tolentino, crítica de arte ha opinado: «Indudablemente Domingo Batista es el poeta de
la fotografía dominicana, medio de expresión que él lleva al clímax captando el detalle “impercibido” por la
mayoría, explorando el romanticismo de las cosas, de la tierra, de la gente, haciéndonos reflexionar de manera
diferente sobre la fotografía y su potencialidad estética emocional. El artista tiene el don de “ver” con una sen-
sibilidad particular y de comunicar espiritualmente sentimientos y angustias a sus temas, a la realidad criolla
circundante».

«Río Bao, Mata Grande», Domingo Batista.

311

«una cosa

que no se cansa,
que vuela del monte
al valle,
que se sumerge
en el fondo del alma,
esa cosa
que viaja dentro de mi
con impulsos acentrales
se que viene de Dios,
quemando cuan gran incendio
mis sombras
en sus llamaradas».

Domingo Batista.

Bibliografía

libros
Cantizano Arias, Rafael
–Santiago y sus Servicios Médicos. Edición Banco Popular, Amigo del Hogar, enero, 2007.

Cartagena Portaltín, Aida
–Galería Nacional de Bellas Artes, ediciones Brigadas Dominicanas. Amigo del Hogar, Santo Domingo,
octubre, 1985.

Castillo, Efraín
–Oviedo 25 años: Trascendencia visual de una historia. Prólogo de Arnulfo Soto y entrevista de Luis Pérez
Casanovas. Amigo del Hogar, Santo Domingo, septiembre, 1988.

De los Santos, Danilo
–La Pintura en la Sociedad Dominicana. Edición Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra. Editora El Caribe,
Santo Domingo, 1979.
–Memoria de la Pintura Dominicana. Raíces e impulso nacional. 2000 a.c.,1924, tomo 1. Grupo León Jimenes.
Impresión Vistacolor, Santo Domingo, 2003.
–Memoria de la Pintura Dominicana. Impulso y desarrollo moderno, 1920-1950, tomo 2. Grupo León Jimenes.
Impresión Vistacolor, Santo Domingo, 2003.
–Memoria de la Pintura Dominicana. Convergencia de generaciones, 1940-1950, tomo 3. Grupo León Jimenes.
Impresión Vistacolor, Santo Domingo, 2004.
–Memoria de la Pintura Dominicana. Lenguajes y tendencias, 1950-1960, tomo 4. Grupo León Jimenes. Impresión
Vistacolor, Santo Domingo, 2004.
–Memoria de la Pintura Dominicana. Militancias y mecenazgo, 1960-1970, tomo 5. Grupo León Jimenes.
Impresión Vistacolor, Santo Domingo, 2005.
–Memoria de la Pintura Dominicana. Continuidad y renovación, 1970-1980, tomo 6. Grupo León Jimenes.
Impresión Vistacolor, Santo Domingo, 2005.
–Memoria de la Pintura Dominicana. Generaciones y lenguajes, 1970-1980, tomo 7. Grupo León Jimenes.
Impresión Vistacolor, Santo Domingo, 2007.
–Memoria de la Pintura Dominicana. Continuidad de los lenguajes, 1980-1990, tomo 8. Grupo León Jimenes.
Impresión Vistacolor, Santo Domingo, 2007.
–El Paraíso Azul de Cándido Bidó. Dayton S.A. Madrid, España, 12 de octubre, 1999.

313

Art and History

at the Banco popular dominicano visual arts collection

Danilo De los Santos / Abil Peralta
–Plutarco Andújar. Contemplación y serenidad. Edición Francisco Nader Arte Latinoamericano. Editora
Corripio, Santo Domingo, mayo, 2009.

De los Santos, Danilo / Marianne de Tolentino / Laura Gil
–Clara Ledesma reino de fantasía. Edición Cámara de Diputados de la República Dominicana. Galería de Arte
Nader, Santo Domingo, 2008.

De Tolentino, Marianne
–Elsa Núñez de los Mundos Interiores a los Paisajes sin Límites. Amigo del Hogar, Santo Domingo, 1988.
–Oviedo un pintor ante la historia. Edición Empresas E. León Jimenes. Editora Amigo del Hogar, Santo
Domingo, 1999.
–Fernando Ureña Rib. Imprenta Quiñones, Santo Domingo, 1989.
–Cándido Bidó. El artista y su obra. Comercial Gráfica, Sirven Sae, Barcelona, España, 1980.
–Salazar Amaya. Impresora Amigos del Hogar, Santo Domingo, abril de 1991.

Espinal Hernández, Edwin
–Asociación para el Desarrollo Incorporado Inc. 40 años, una Historia. Edición Banco Popular, impresión Amigo

del Hogar, junio, 2001.

Gerón, Cándido
–Enciclopedia de las Artes Plásticas Dominicanas 1844-2010. Impresión editora centenario, Santo Domingo,
junio, 2010.
–Guillo Pérez y su pasión por el color. Editora Corripio, Santo Domingo, abril, 2006.
–Oviedo, vida, obra y proyección internacional. Editora Corripio, Santo Domingo, 15 de marzo, 1995.
–Arte dominicano del modernismo a las vanguardias. 1940-2010. Editora Centenario, Santo Domingo, septiembre,
2010.

Guzmán, Enrique / Jaime Meaux
–Mariano Sánchez: La pintura de un visionario. Editora Centenaria, Santo Domingo.

Guerrero, Myrna /Danilo De los Santos
–Mujer y Arte Dominicano Hoy/Homenaje a Celeste Woss y Gil. Edición E. León Jimenes, Amigo del Hogar,
Santo Domingo, abril de 1995.
–Los Ámbitos de Luz de Amaya Salazar. Impresión Dayton S. A., Madrid, España, de 2002.

Jorge, Bernarda
–El canto de tradición oral en la República Dominicana, Edición Banco de Reservas, 1996.

Martínez, Rufino
–Diccionario Biográfico-Histórico Dominicano 1921-193. Editora UASD, 1971.

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Danilo De los Santos

Miller, Jeannette
–Tesoros de Arte del Banco Popular Dominicano. Amigo del Hogar, Santo Domingo, 2011.
–1844-2000 Arte Dominicano. Escultura, instalaciones, medios no tradicionales y arte vitral. Colección Cultural
CODETEL, vol. V, Santo Domingo. Amigo del Hogar, noviembre, 2002.
–La Mujer en el Arte Dominicano. Banco del Progreso. Amigo del Hogar, Santo Domingo, 2007.

Mir, Pedro
–«Hay un País en el Mundo», poema 1949. Amigo del Hogar, Santo Domingo, 1999.

Nader, Gary Nicolás
–Arte Contemporáneo Dominicano. Amigo del Hogar, Santo Domingo, 1984.

Neruda, Pablo
Versinograma a Santo Domingo. Poema Suelto. Década de 1960.

Patte, Ricardo
–La República Dominicana, edición 1967.

Polanco Brito, Arz. Hugo E.
–Exvotos y «milagros» del santuario de Higüey, enero, 1984.

Ramón Jarne, Ricardo / María Ugarte / Marianne de Tolentino / Laura Gil
–Darío Suro: Metamorfosis y ransmigración. Colección Monografía de Arte Dominicano del Centro Cultural de
España. Con el patrocinio del Grupo León Jimenes y Editorial Santillana, Santo Domingo, febrero 2, 2000.

Ramón Jarne, Ricardo / Laura Gil
–Fernando Peña Defilló: La Naturaleza Mística. Colección monográfica de Arte Dominicano del Centro
Cultural de España con el apoyo del Museo de Arte Moderno de Santo Domingo, vol. 3, 2008.

Ripley, Geo
–9. Número de ancestros/autorretrato. Edición Museo de Arte Moderno, Santo Domingo, 2006.

Rodríguez Demorizi, Emilio
–Lengua y Folklore de Santo Domingo, 1975.

Suro, Darío
–Arte Dominicano (Monografía de las Artes Plásticas Dominicanas). Publicaciones ¡Ahora!, Santo Domingo,
agosto, 1969.

Tejera, Emilio
–Indigenismos. tomo II, 1997.

315

Art and History

at the Banco popular dominicano visual arts collection

Ugarte, María
–Prats-Ventós 1925-1999. Edición Banco Popular Dominicano. Editora Amigo del Hogar, Santo Domingo,
diciembre, 2001.
–Estampas coloniales, Vol. II, 1998.
–Monumentos Coloniales. Publicado por el Museo de las Casas Reales, Santo Domingo, 1977.

Ureña Rib, Fernando
–Decir la piel o las discretas orgías del silencio. Compendio de textos críticos 1973-1998. Impresión Serigraf. S.A.

Santo Domingo, segunda edición 2000.

Valldeperes, Manuel
–«El arte de nuestro tiempo», Ciudad Trujillo, 1957.

Vargas, Fernando
–Dionisio Blanco. Las pinturas enigmáticas. Impresora Amigo del Hogar, Santo Domingo, 1991.

Velázquez, Bladimir
–Líneas Alternas. Edición Banco Central de la República Dominicano, Santo Domingo, septiembre, 2006.

Walter, William
–Estado actual de las colonias españolas, tomo I, edición 1976.

Monografías / Enciclopedias / Artículos

Alcántara Almánzar, José. Texto en «Líneas alternativas / Vladimir Velázquez». Banco Central, 2006.
Andújar, Plutarco. Canto a mi tierra. Banco Popular, noviembre, 1983.
Batista, Domingo. «Tiempo de luz». Banco Popular Dominicano, 1993.
Brugal & Co. 100 Años de la Pintura Dominicana. Continuidad y ruptura. 1888-1988. Textos de Marianne de To-

lentino / Myrna Guerrero / Jeannette Miller / Laura Gil / Danilo De los Santos. Integrafic, S.A, Santo
Domingo, 1989.
Centro León. Balcácer, Ada. Alas y Raíces. Textos de Manuel Salvador Gautier / Myrna Guerrero / Edward J.
Sullivan / Rafael Emilio Yunén. Amigo del Hogar, Santo Domingo, 2011; Peña Defilló, Fernando. El eterno
retorno. Textos de Danilo De los Santos / Yolanda Wood / María Ugarte / Rafael Emilio Yunén. Amigo del
Hogar, Santo Domingo, 2009.
Díaz Niese, Rafael. Tres artistas dominicanos, Celeste Woss y Gil, Darío Suro y Bienvenido Gimbernard. Cuadernos
Dominicanos de Cultura, núm. 1 de septiembre, 1943.
E. León Jimenes. Concurso de Arte Eduardo León Jimenes. 25 años de Historia. Textos de Eduardo A. León / Enriquillo
Sánchez / Danilo De los Santos. Talleres Serigraf, Santo Domingo, agosto, 1993.
Enciclopedia Ilustrada Cumbre, tomo 12-E, edición de 1967.
González Robles. Leopoldo Pérez expone en ICH de Madrid. El Caribe, noviembre 7, 1905.
Grullón, Mario. Primavera en otoño. Patrocinada por el Banco Popular Dominicano. Galería Principal, Altos de
Chavón, noviembre, 1984.
Gutiérrez, Fernando. «La Prensa», Barcelona, 20 de marzo, 1952.

316

Danilo De los Santos

Mieses Burgos, Franklin. Exposición de Gilberto Hernández Ortega. Revista la Poesía Sorprendida, enero-
marzo, 1947.

Museo Bellapart. Artistas españoles en la colección Bellapart. Ecos de la vanguardia europea. Textos de María Ugarte, / Juan
José Bellapart / Paula Jorge Gómez. Amigo del Hogar, Santo Domingo, 2007.

Monferrer, Ulises. Diario «Hoy», México D.F., reproducido en Listín Diario 1 de enero, 1945.
Tanasescu, Horia. La exposición de un pintor: Paul Giudicelli. El Caribe, 20 de diciembre, 1953.
Thomas, Karín. Diccionario del Arte Actual. Editorial Labor S.A. Barcelona, España, 1978.
Valldeperes, Manuel. Los dominicanos en Yoryi, El Caribe, mayo 5, 1963; Leopoldo Pérez pinta a la humanidad dolo-

rida. El Caribe, diciembre, 1965.
Catálogos
«Carpeta 1, Catálogo de obras de arte del G. P.», Santo Domingo, 8 de enero, 2003. 451 páginas.
«Carpeta 2», Santo Domingo, 8 de enero de 2003. 457 páginas.
«Catálogo de pinturas en la bóveda del almacén». 205 páginas.
«Ámbitos Enlazados. Selección de los fondos artísticos del Banco Popular Dominicano». Textos de Myrna Guerrero / Danilo De

los Santos, Centro Cultural Perelló, Baní. Amigo del Hogar, Santo Domingo, septiembre, 2011.
Henríquez, Daniel. «Reminiscencias». Galería de Arte Avant-Garde, julio, 1994.
Henríquez, Daniel. «La transfiguración de mis sueños». Auspiciada por E. León Jimenes, C. por A. Voluntariado

para la Custodia de Bienes Culturales, mayo, 1991.
«Montilla, Manuel. Orígenes». Galería de Arte Moderno, septiembre, 1992.
Pérez, Leopoldo. «Exposición Lepe». Catálogo 1987.
Susana, Julio. «Cerca del Cielo». Museo de las Casas Reales, noviembre, 2010.

317



El autor

Danilo De los Santos, artista visual, crítico de arte, curador, historiador, animador cultural y docente.

Nació en Puerto Plata, República Dominicana (1942) y se vincula a Santiago de los Caballeros, donde crece
y se educa. Se inició en las artes con el pintor Mario Grullón y estudió en la Academia de Bellas Artes con Yoryi
Morel y Federico Izquierdo, y en la Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, estudia Educación (1965-1969),
cursando Maestría en la Universidad de Puerto Rico, recinto Río Piedras (1974-1976) con apoyo de la Fundación de
Ford. Posteriormente obtiene certificado en Gerencia Cultural en el Centro Latinoamericano y del Caribe para el
desarrollo Cultural (CLADEC), Caracas, Venezuela, 1989.

Docente universitario, labora en la PUCMM (1969-1989), donde dirige los Departamentos de Extensión Cultural,
de Publicaciones y de Historia y Geografía. Fue Director de la Revista EME-EME Estudios Dominicanos (1980-1987).

Fue cofundador del Grupo Friordano, ha registrado más de 30 exposiciones individuales al tiempo que participa
en colectivas, obteniendo premio en pintura (VI Concurso León Jimenes, 1970), en dibujo e instalación (XVIII Bienal
Nacional, 1992) y en escultura (XIX Bienal Nacional, 1994), además del premio Especial del Jurado de la Primera Bienal
Paleta de Níquel (Bonao, 2005). En el campo de las artes se le conoce con el nombre artístico de Danicel.

Fue presidente de la Asociación Dominicana de Críticos de Arte, filial de la Asociación Internacional de Críticos
de Arte y director de la Escuela de Bellas Artes de Santiago. Ha escrito para diferentes medios periodísticos, dictando,
además, conferencias, participando en coloquios, formando parte de jurados de bienales y concursos nacionales.
Fue consultor vinculado al proyecto organizativo del Centro León, y curador de la muestras inaugurales «Huellas y
Memoria: Familia León Jimenes», y «Génesis y trayectoria: del Arte Dominicano». Mantiene contacto permanente
como puertoplateño colaborando con la Sociedad Renovación y su Concurso por Nuestro País Primero, y diferentes
festivales culturales de la ciudad.

Es autor de numerosos textos de arte e historia, figurando entre ellos «La pintura en la Sociedad Dominicana»
(1978), «Los Pintores de Santiago» (1970), «Anotaciones de un Joven Pintor» (1979), «El Paraíso Azul de Cándido
Bidó» (1999) y «Memoria de la Pintura Dominicana» (2003-2009), investigación en 10 tomos, auspiciada por el
Grupo León Jimenes, «Raúl Morilla: Correlatos del Corpus» (2012) y «Álbum Cincuentenario 1962-2012 - Pontificia
Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra». Igualmente coautor de «Visión General de la Historia Dominicana» (1977),
«100 años de Pintura Dominicana» (1988), «Colección Aduanas», tomo I (Dirección General de Aduanas, 2007),
«Apeco: Fotografía, Historia y Vida» (Cámara de Diputados de la República, 2008) y «Clara Ledesma, Reino de Fan-
tasía» (Cámara de Diputados de la República, Galería de Arte Nader, 2008), y entre otros «Juan Plutarco Andújar:
Contemplación y serenidad» (2009), «Álbum Cincuentenario PUCMM 1962-2012» (2012).

En el 2009 el Ministerio de Cultura, en acto público lo declaró Activo Cultural de la Nación, y en el 2010
participa como curador de la Primera Trienal Internacional del Caribe. Se le dedica el VI Festival de la Restauración,
Puerto Plata, 2013.

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Art and History

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visual arts collection

Art and History

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Presentation

Manuel A. Grullón
President
Banco Popular Dominicano

History, our history as Dominicans is not always explained through art. Nonetheless, when that is the case, the
artistic expressions of our creators demonstrate who we are, showing and strengthening the Dominican identity.

Dominican art has constituted itself as witness of our customs and life perception, and in the social expression
of diverse national periods.

For this reason, in the last 50 years, our institution has invested in the preservation of an art patrimony that
belongs to all of us. He have carried out a policy to stimulate national art through the acquisition of paintings,
drawings, photographies, and sculptures of artists that have become the voice of our nation and culture.This is
the best legacy for our future generation to understand and appreciate, in perspective, the foundation of their
idiosyncrasy.

Today, it is our pleasure to give you the testament of this close relationship between artistic creation and history,
revealing the uniqueness expressed by this symbiosis when presenting our esthetic vision as a nation. «Art and history
in the Visual Art Collection of Banco Popular». by artist, historian and art critic Danilo de los Santos, is the new
book that adds to the editorial efforts of Banco Popular, in its firm determination in favor of the intellectual growth
of the nation.

De los Santos, as a Dominican art historian, with an educated and keen nose, analyses and explains the feeling
and the social expression of various stages of Dominican life; all unveiled in the visual art works that form part of the
Banco Popular collection, and that intertwined, they show a sort of peregrination through the Dominican essence
and its epochal circumstances.

This artistic and social unity, captured in an image compendium with remarkable examples of works between
1900 and 1999, will serve the reader as a testimony of faith in the Dominican identity, in the local way of thinking
and in the vocation of freedom of our people.

For our institution, the role of patrons assumed since 1964 is a mission to sponsor the tangible aspect of
art works and the intangible value that they convey about our cultural, social and financial future. Without
any doubt, This book, undoubtedly, reflects this spirit and preserves the way in which we see ourselves as
Dominicans.

Thus, we feel very satisfied with this important publication, that proves one more time our commitment with
the projection in other parts of the world, of the most authentic and relevant cultural values of the Dominican
nation.

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Words by the Author

The history of visual arts (drawing, sculpture, photography and painting) of this book, is based on a selection
of treasured works and their authors by Banco Popular. Overall, we refer to the exhibitions of the authors and their
works. However, as far as possible, selective or minimal curatorial evaluation prevails over the hundreds of works that
make all the treasures of the bank.

With the above author’s explanation, the reader will notice the following:

–In more than one chapter there are lists of groups of artists. Some chapters only provide facts about the artists’s
lives, others include the full biography and their pertinent artistic work.
–Reference to dates of birth and deaths are made only when dealing with artists quoted on the chapter with
unique works in the collection. Conversely, the year of death is mentioned insofar as the artist works possesses
a distinct record of exhibitions covering various creative processes. For instance: painter Yoryi Morel with works
since 1928 until 1970s; in this case we indicate both, his date of birth and his day of death. As a different case,
Eligio Pichardo with works in he collection of the 1940s, requires the indication of his birth and death, as the
artist does not reappear in the historical narrative.

The history of this book, moreover, offers an explanation not quite chronological, nor by successive generations.
Taking as point of departure a masterpiece (The Moor, 1990), the pace of the chapters is on the one hand,
an association of emblematic works of a period, and on the other hand, the establishment of intergeneration
confluence.

In addition, other chapters explain new-modern artistic language, the internalized vision of the landscape by
dozens of Dominican and foreign artists, and the collection of those painters with remarkable works of art included
in the treasures of Banco popular; painters, who occupy, indisputably, their rank of deceased masters, worthy to be
remembered together with their visual art production.

Finally, in the book I present an unusual vision: no absolute attachment to a sequence of generations. Our gaze
is linear or progressive, and in the chapter in which we concluded our narrative vision, we provide a retrospective
approach.

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Notes on History and Dominican Art:
Drawing, Sculpture, Painting and Photography

Our national art, in all its expressions, was born as the conquest and colonization undertaken by Spain. The
our homeland: with Altagracia and Duarte’s ideals, Do- result of the encounter between the Europeans invaders
minican, liberal, feisty, tricolor …It is the art of a Carib- and the Natives invaded is encapsulated in Neruda’s vers-
bean nation with territory in the sun, and multiracial es: «Spaniard conquerors / who came from Spain with what
population, regularly surprised by the quakes of its faults they were wearing / searched for gold and they searched it so
and the hurricane seasons characteristic of the tropics. much / as if it served as food. / Upholding Christ with his cross
/ the blows were arguments / or so, that the living Indians /
The Antillean nature, being insular, is a condition became Christians living dead».
in itself, it is a primal nature. Centuries before becom-
ing a country, homeland or nation, it was a pristine geo- The process of seeking and obtaining gold enslaved
graphical landscape followed by historical cycles forming and almost completely annihilated the native popula-
a society determined by four major times: the Aboriginal tion, replaced by African slaves who turned into the
Pre-Columbian, the Hispanic colonial and the African main support for the sugar production that eventually
presence; Creole proto-nationalists subversion cycle, and led to the development of livestock holdings. The slave
the Republican cycle, extended from the 4th decade of the trade and the territorial expansion defined the Spanish
nineteenth century to the process of this millennium. colonial regime, whose imprint included Catholic evan-
gelization, the imposition of Castilian language, and the
In this «implausible country,» as the poet Pedro Mir transplanting of political, legal, ecclesiastical and edu-
describes it, its first inhabitants were Arawak Amerindians cational institutions. The building of territorial villages
who came, almost all of them, from the South American that included convents, chapels and churches with their
tropical forest. These aborigines called «ayti» the entire is- shrines, saints, virgins, and ritual observances, erased
land, but usually that general term is applied to the high in principle the «sinful» mythological beliefs and ritual
and mountainous land of the West, which is distinguished practices of the Amerindians and Africans, although the
from the name used in the East. The natives of the East cimarronaje and the pilfering survived with the spiritual,
called it «Kiskea,» according to Pané, which is also the racial or mixed blood hybridization, in this first encoun-
name of a goddess. By idiomatic manipulation it becomes ter of socio-colonial formation.
Quisqueia or Quisqueya.
As the fundamental rooting stage for this period,
The Taino society, whose regime was interrupted by there were diverse virgins representing the Immaculate
the Columbian expedition in1492, was developed by the Mother of the Son of our Heavenly Father. But none
primal Amerindian migration. The discoverer Admiral as Our Lady of Altagracia, whose image appeared in an
gave a new name to the island, «Hispaniola,» beginning

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orange tree in the town of Higüey, according to a tradi- gave an energetic speech in Spanish, and not in French as
tional legend. She became a miracle of dedication and was expected. He stated the truth that among the popula-
faith starting from the early sixteenth century, transcend- tions of the former territories of the island of Haiti, the
ing the subsequent centuries of our territorial history. difference of origin, language, legislation, customs and
At this point it is already the story of a country defined habits, were powerful causes that opposed the merger in
in the East of the island, consisting of Creole women one single State, and that the future would make possible
and men, Dominicans, as most of its inhabitants identify to prove this assertion with founded facts…
themselves during the first four decades of the nineteenth
century. The primitive and residual art of the Aboriginal In isolation, with the racial and social democracy
pre-Hispanics, and the colonial arts imposed by Spain, product of the impoverishment, the Dominican culture
such as religious paintings and sculptures, among other was oblivious to the flourishing of the arts and educa-
artistic manifestations prevail in this process. tion, except for some enlightened attempts in the early
nineteenth century, in the port city of Santo Domingo,
Since early nineteenth century, the island is di- where there were some scattered newspapers, published
vided into two distinct territories: Haiti, where there by a government printing passed on by the French oc-
had been a bloody slave revolt against French rule, cupiers, which also published literary pamphlets and
and Santo Domingo, affected by that revolution, and official documents. These publications are connected
as a result transferred to France by the Treaty of Basel to José Núñez de Cáceres, head of a group of teachers
(1795), producing a mass exodus of the most educated seeking the opening of the University of Santo Tomás
elite population. The French rule of Gen. Louis Ferrand, de Aquinos. In the city overlooking the Ozama, during
confronted by the reconquest undertaken by land-owners, this period are also known the paintings of Francisco Ve-
and a desire for a colonial return to Spain, culminated in lázquez, author of religious cathedral medallions, that ap-
the Proclamation of independence of 1821, led by José peared following those painted by Diego José Hilaris, in
Núñez de Cáceres; an ephemeral independence because the eighteenth century, for the Sanctuary of the Virgin of
it facilitated the Haitian invasion of President Boyer, with Altagracia in Higüey. Hilaris and Velázquez are the first
Dominicans advocacy groups welcoming the territorial Creole painters remembered for their works.
unification of two culturally distinct societies. The au-
thoritarianism and militarization that ensued, attempted With the exception made of its enlightened and in-
to suppress the Creole ethos by fostering integration dur- tellectual expressions, the Creole culture was essentially
ing twenty-two years (1822-1844). Although the political inland oriented: based on land and cattle farm owners,
unification was real, the spiritual, mental and customary clinging to the mountains and patriarchal, linked to the
habits were indomitable in a population with rooted his- main economic sectors of agricultural smallholdings,
paniz, despite the pervasive process of hybridization and cattle raising, timber cutting and the emerging tobacco
syncretism, in the context of the isolation of a country plantation which bring forth the independent farmer,
facing constant adversity. the free peasant, and the tobacco grower from the moun-
tainous Cibao region. If one can speak of social educa-
The Haitian rule was not a setback for our country, tion, it would be the process in which the prevailing il-
but an adverse event which caused the native population literacy and empirical wisdom are connected to the rural
to recognize itself as «Dominican people» as stated in the life, including architectural models of huts, hermitages
«Declaration of Independence,» written by José Núñez de and ranches, culinary expressions, basic tools, animal-
Cáceres, who in the delivery of the keys to the city to Boyer powered transport, speech full of archaisms, and the

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African and Native Taino expressions, especially the to- African practices such as the brotherhoods that syncretized
ponymic ones. These linguistic voices are crisscrossed in deities and religious practices from their land of origin
our speech as the sounds of musical instruments, in the disguised with Catholicism. The brotherhoods with invo-
same fashion that beliefs and rituals interact. However, cations to St. Cosmas and St. Mary Magdalene, among
the Castilian language and the Catholic religion are im- other religious images of faith, extended a magic-religious
posed from the beginning of the colonial period due to type of transformation whose celebration involves pealing
their institutional weight. of drums, singing and dancing. The white settlers, when
they did not had their own brotherhoods, they were admit-
Regarding language, Rodríguez Demorizi writes: «For ted to the creolized black fraternities, which are involved
a while there are three languages in roughly equal nuclei in the in official commemorative ceremonies. On the occasion
colony: indigenous, Spanish and African. That confusion of voic- of the monarchic ascension of Ferdinand VI in 1747,
es will later appear in Tirso de Molina verses alluding to things great celebrations were scheduled in Santo Domingo.
of Santo Domingo, where he resided at the beginning of the sev- María Ugarte reported that she threw coins and cheered
enteenth century: How do you pick-up cocoa? Handsome? What their majesties at the end of a liturgy. At the ceremony,
is it among slaves? What fruits you get from guava trees? What is «the brotherhood of San Juan Bautista danced a contra dance
cassava and what Jaojao?». Later on other voices will be add- and in the afternoon men and women paraded through the city
ed: French, English, Italian, Chinese, Arab… as a result of singing, chanting and dancing. It was a courtship that included
an increased ethnic and cultural accumulation. the «Calenda,» a dance and song of African origin accompanied
by applauses from the spectators». Bernarda Jorge, refers to
The Englishman William Walter, in an article pub- the popular religious singing related to pilgrimages, «little
lished in 1810, focuses on the entertainment in the is- angels wakes» called baquiní, and other popular religious festi-
land, including the running of the bulls, cockfights and vals and ceremonies associated with the Catholic tradition or
«national» dances like bolero, fandango and the dance magic-religious rituals (…). In some devotional celebrations, as
of the mulattoes, which he considered voluptuous and the ones named the Cross, the Holy Spirit, or that of some saints
obscene. «Low class Spanish black people accompany their vul- that matches the voodoo mysteries, they sing salves that blend
gar dances with shouts and music produced by sticks and lofty Catholic and Voodoo invocations. (…). However, (…) there are
woods, or by a ridged gourd, which they swiftly brush using a salves which are strictly devoted to the mysteries or luas…»
thin bone. The baujo, sort of maracas made by filling a gourd
with pebbles and played with a horse jaw with teeth attached, Songs, devotions, miracles, and pilgrimages dating
brushed with swift movement and accompanied by drums. The from the beginning of the colony are related to numer-
steps are strange and obscene. All the accompaniment and style ous altars from convents, chapels, parish churches, urban
seem to be derived from a mixture of African Congo and indig- housing and the peasants hut or bojío, which recalls the
enous din, and are the ceremonial ritual for a death relative, speech of the Tainos. The hut was a construction covered
which becomes a solemn occasion with dancing and musicians with boards and palm leaves, as in the beginning were the
like the gypsies in Spain. The greatest compliment that a man in sanctuaries like the virgins of Altagracia and Mercedes,
love makes to his courted lady, for having granted the privilege which are related to miraculous apparitions and pilgrim
of dancing with him at the party, is taking off his hat and put- devotions. Bishop Polanco Brito writes: «The miraculous
ting it on her for the rest of the evening. Later on she will return Cross of the Holy Hill, planted there by the same Discoverer,
it, often along with a lit cigar that she has rolled herself.» polished as a strong Dominican tradition by the appearance of
the Virgin of Mercy, gave rise to a series of miraculous stories.
The concentration of blacks in many villages, espe-
cially in Santo Domingo, gave rise to beliefs and Neo

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Regarding Higüey’s Sanctuary, Alcocer stated the following in All these manifestations strengthened Duarte’s patriotic
1650: Every day you see many miracles, there are so many that identity as well as his vocation for the ineluctable eman-
people don’t ask or write about them…». cipation. The struggles for autonomy from Spain, the
secret societies, the heroic model of the templar and the
Bishop Polanco Brito explains: «The Dominican people ecclesiastical feast of «La Santa Cruz,» they all inspired
have offered what is popularly called a miracle to God and Duarte’s liberating vocation upon his return to Santo
his saints, that is a votive offering of metallic gold, silver, and Domingo in 1832.
other less noble materials like wood or wax. This custom has
survived (…) It is true that the Shrine of Our Lady of Alta- The historian Alcides García Lluveres explains Juan
gracia is the most representative part of the miracle (…) many Pablo Duarte’s link to the commemoration of the Holy
miracles are offered each year, mostly elaborated by Creole Cross, related to the triumph of the Christian kings of
artists, sometimes in a very primitive way». Bishop Polanco Castile, León, Navarra and Aragón at the Battle of Las
Brito qualifies the Higüey Sanctuary medallions as «vo- Navas de Tolosa, where 300, 000 soldiers were defeated,
tive offering Series.» Emphasizing that «this collection is on July 16, 1212. «The bishops of Narbonne and Toledo, pres-
valuable.» It represents the artwork of one of our master ent in Navas, used the Cross to excite the combat. That memo-
painters. He is remembered as Diego José Hilario. There rable day began a new era in the life of Spain: the secular power
is no biographical information about this anonymous au- of the Moors was broken there and the Iberians seized Sierra
thor who offers votive paintings that recount miraculous Morena, the key to the Andalusian plain. In commemoration
events. 27 medallions were produced by this eighteenth of the splendid victory, the Church celebrates every year on July
century painter, of which 16 are preserved. The missing 16, the feast of «The Triumph of the Holy Cross.» Juan Pablo
ones were lost by adverse and unknown circumstances. Duarte, who wanted to initiate the revolution against Haiti
Also missing are many of the legends included in the with the invocation of the Cross of the Savior, and that in un-
surviving works. dertaking his works opened another era in Dominican life, chose
to take action in a meaningful date: hence our unforgettable
In pointing out that our national art was born Alta- July 16, 1838, the day of the founding of the ‘Trinitarian’s.
gracian, like our homeland, we recognize the primacy of (…) Duarte called his friends «Templars,» that is, «Knights of
a great divine and miraculous benefit that comes from the Cross». The association recalled a secret military order
Catholicism, whose imprint, like so many others, are formed during the famous medieval Crusades, for the
imposed from the beginning to the native island. It is purpose of advocating in favour of Christendom in the
the homeland of a racially mixed population in a process Iberian peninsula until it was suppressed by order of the
of acculturation-transculturation, adverse and unavoid- Roman papacy in the fourteenth century.
able, in the discussions of centuries of history, and whose
balance is the Creole inhabitant expressing his-her local Our immortal pavilion was born with the founding
character. It is the awareness of belonging to the home- of the Trinitarian, whose description is included in the
land with which Juan Pablo Duarte y Díez identifies text of Induction of the first members of the secret society:
himself when angrily denies being Haitian in order to «In the name of the holy and undivided Trinity Almighty God:
be considered Dominican. His native country was uni- I swear and promise, for my honor and my conscience, under
fied under the rule of Boyer, when his parents decided our President Juan Pablo Duarte, to cooperate personally with
that he traveled to Europe in 1828, where his humanistic my life and property to the final separation from the Haitian
education grows in a period of euphoric liberal ideas, lib- government, and establish a free republic, sovereign and inde-
eration struggles, an ardent and romantic nationalism. pendent of foreign domination, which will be called Dominican

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Republic, which will have a tricolor flag of red and blue quar- dawn of its history one of the most exciting human experiences of
tered crossed with a white cross». all time, the coexistence and assimilation of different races and
cultures that seem to be mutually exclusive (…).The Dominican
The three primary colors of the Dominican flag is case is absolutely unique in the world, as it has been developed
linked to the image of Our Lady of Altagracia. Juan Pablo on a land strictly limited by the close proximity to other people
Duarte was inspired by «the faith of the Virgin full of whose bases are fundamentally different and in many respects
grace» for his plan for liberation. «The memorable July 16, antagonistic (…) Its own independence (…) is sui generis in
1838, which by the way was Monday, day of the Triumph of Latin American history of separatism, since it does not coincide
the Holy Cross celebrated in Spain, the mother of the founder with any other and it does not fit any of the movements, both in
of our nation, Dona Manuela Díez Jiménez, put a medal on the Southern Continent and in the other Antilles.»
his chest with the image «of the Virgin Mary dedicated to Alta-
gracia, and dressed with the same colours that were going to be The uniqueness of the independence concocted by
incorporated in the national flag». Duarte and the Trinitarians is alien to the liberation of
the European domains (Spanish, French, Portuguese …),
The ideal that attaches Altagracia with the home- but fruit of the struggle against the dominance of Hai-
land is linked to Duarte’s concept of nationality, whose tians for twenty years. It was not a colonial rule, but rath-
liberating project culminated in February 27, 1844 when er politically integrated into an absurd republican system
the Trinitarian hero Francisco del Rosario Sánchez by the different historical nature of two countries sharing
hoisted the tricolour flag in the bastion of San Genaro the same territory, but with different cultural identities:
or Conde. Also, he hoisted the flag in various towns of afro-French in the Haitian context and afro-Hispanic,
the nascent Republic. The flag is charged with meaning in the Dominican case. The separation from Haiti took
and symbolism, extracted from the abstract notion of the place on February 27, 1844. The independence procla-
Virgin of Altagracia as a figurative icon. Flag and Vir- mation was transcendental in defining what it meant to
gin are emblematic art representing the collective feeling be Dominican, a nation, a Republic. The setback caused
of devotion in a Republican territory where ideological by the annexation to Spain led to the revolutionary
mentalities, conservative and liberal are not discussed in movement of Restoration, which expressed a collective
Dominican-Haitian battles, but doctrinally. The conser- consciousness growth of various social sectors: peasants,
vatism of the traditional ruling class retains constitutional merchants, intellectuals and owners. The war between
and governmental power, excluding the nationalist class Dominicans and Spaniards divided the country govern-
lead by the Trinitarians. The young Republic reaches life mentally, and bloodied the homeland, but restored the
for seventeen years (1844-1861), taking a step back to the honour of national emancipation. The Republic was re-
Annexation to Spain, an anachronistic and colonialist born raising the flagpole with the tricolour shades of the
act represented by the warlords Pedro Santana and Bue- Virgin of Higüey.
naventura Báez, being the first one who concretizes such
an unpatriotic action. The restored republican state from 1865 did not
mean, according to Pattee, that the classic rhythm of Do-
Ricardo Pattee considers the Dominican country as minican history was changed or modified, considering
the first territory that represented a «mandatory link» of that there were ideological tendencies and major prob-
the routes that spread the Western world. Pattee visual- lems. I addition, the country was «divided between those
izes the country as a «triangular» zone of a shared island, who believed in its capacity for autonomy and those who viewed
and as a «multi component» on its development as a na- such position with pessimism». Several factors affected the
tion. Pattee says: «The Dominican nation has lived since the

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nation at that point: weak political institutions, the ma- Other structural changes, like the one in communica-
jority of the population lived in rural areas, the peasants tions, do not impede the isolation of regions and villages,
were illiterate and relied on empirical knowledge and fes- although these are transformed into modest developing
tive devotions and beliefs. Also, many joined the battle- cities such as Puerto Plata, Santiago de los Caballeros,
fields in a new process of insurgency driven by regional, San Pedro de Macorís, and even the first city of the New
non liberal warlords. These aspects explain the return World, Santo Domingo, the capital city and the site of the
of Buenaventura Báez, the most committed politician first manifestations in arts, literature, education and the
to the new republican process once the annexationist civic societies in charge of social and cultural promotion.
Pedro Santana disappears. Despite the growth of liber- Eugenio María de Hostos and Salomé Ureña develop a
alism among traders and urban intellectuals, and the new and positive educational endeavor. Showcasing, in her
ascendancy of patriotic leaders like Gregorio Luperón, case, her part of a remarkable generation of writers which
Báez and his followers continued imposing themselves includes José Joaquín Pérez, Manuel de Jesús Galván, Fran-
over the government with various mandates. Báez and cisco Gregorio Billini, César Nicolás Penzon, José Gabriel
his supporters imposed a violent dictatorship for six García and Pedro Francisco Bonó, among others.
years (1868-1874), persecuting opponents involved in a
nationalist armed resistance, whose eventual success is A generation of sculptors, photographers and native
considered another liberal political independence, and a painters is formed for the first time: Ángel Perdomo, Luis
more definitive influence in the national character. The Desangles, Abelardo Rodríguez Urdaneta, Leopoldo Na-
new order excluded Baez’s conservative authoritarianism varro, Julio Pou, Adolfo García Obregón, Alfredo Senior,
and annexation ideals, but did not shed the autocratic Ramón Mella Ligthgow, José Fco. García, Alejandro Bo-
tendencies, nor the partisan conservatism, political fac- nilla, Arturo Grullón Julia… The latter is a Hostos’ fol-
tions with local rebel troops which constituted the new lower. He is a painter from Santiago, whose initial artistic
tendency of modern military authoritarianism based on training is linked to Juan Fernández Corredor, a Spanish
personality cult. painter who don Eliseo Grullón met while traveling on
a ship coming from Europe and then convinced to land
Between 1875-1900, the liberal governmental ten- in Santo Domingo. As a result, he is associated with a
dency led to a change in economic structures with the drawing school, sponsored by the Friends of Teaching
development of industries that replaced archaic forms, Association in 1883. Within months, Corridor school
especially the case of the more capitalized sugar produc- conducted the first national exhibition which highlights
tion compared to the traditional mode of production eleven distinguished students, including the young Ar-
and marketing of tobacco. This economic trend involves turo Grullón Julia.
a change in the socio-cultural structure and population
makeup since it entails the presence of West Indians The cultural growth within the urban centers has its
and European immigrants, some of them political exiles representation in different cities of the country and pro-
(Cubans and Puerto Ricans) and others moved by a «civi- vides national romantic nuances, as the National Anthem,
lizing» breath (Europeans) or by the labor needs of black with lyrics and music by Emilio Prud’homme and José
British islanders (cocolos) as well as a displacement of na- Reyes. The manifestation of patriotic fervor, which raises
tives that mark out a concentration of population in San the name of Juan Pablo Duarte, starts a cult without prec-
Pedro de Macorís, the southeastern port city surrounded edent with other patriots, including José Ramón Matías
by sugar mills. Mella and Francisco dddel Rosario Sánchez. The appear-
ance of the first Dominican newspapers and magazines

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are responsible for our first editions of books, including
«Lyre from Quisquella» by José Castellanos, printed in
1874. It also entails editorial connections especially with
Spain, and the formation of public libraries created by
civil lawyers, including Pedro de Jesús Peña y Reynoso
and Eugenio Deschamps, founders of cultural societies
in Santiago. English Victorianism and the French Belle
Époque («beautiful era») are welcomed in major cities of
the republic that, besides the inhabitants Creoles, have
different foreign presences: Arab, Caribbean, Chinese,
North Americans and Europeans, all of them influenc-
ing the transformation of cities’ lifestyles, as well as add-
ing new components to the Dominican racial makeup.
Concurrently, the inland distinctive universe of the peas-
ant, retaining a spiritual and material culture of ancestral
traditions and customs, somehow segregated from the
urban fringe that creates typical activities of the popular
culture: vendors, markets, town criers…

After Báez dictatorship, there are more than ten
governments between 1874-1880, including the former
strongman as one of the leaders during that period. The
contentious nature of the different party factions, being
the political reality of the nation, continued creating an
unstable chaos until the arrival of the provisional govern-
ment of the Liberals headed by General Gregorio Luper-
ón (1879-1880) and the Constitutional sector of Fernan-
do Arturo Meriño (1880-1802), Ulysses Heureaux, alias
Lilis (1882-1884) and Francis Gregory Billini-Alejandro
Woss y Gil (1884-1886). All these constitutional govern-
ments, directly or indirectly, set in motion Lilis dictator-
ship (1887-1899), coinciding with modern transforma-
tions that define the economic, industrial, demographic,
socio-cultural, and even the State with its control of the
military. Instituting, by this manner, authoritarian con-
trols based on the espionage facilitated by the new type
of communication (post, telegraph, railways… and harm-
ful loans with foreign capital. It is the stage in which U.S.
imperialism replaces the European empires, and Ameri-
ca is at the mercy of the Monroe Doctrine and the dollar

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at the Banco popular dominicano visual arts collection

diplomacy that are associated with the Spanish American
War of 1898; war that replaces the Spanish political colo-
nialism in Cuba and Puerto Rico.

Order, peace and progress are the principles pro-
claimed in the last decades of the nineteenth century.
This period is marked by the influence of positivist and
rational secularism, which brings about transformations
in intellectual circles, as well as the education of groups
of youngsters of both sexes. This lead to the enthusiasm
for the arts, including photography, which caused a great
deal of passion at the time. The revolutionary art of light,
from the daguerreotype to advanced techniques such as
the solar camera and chromo-photography, has its repre-
sentations from the Dominican pioneer Billini Epifanio,
with many foreign and itinerant photographers who pro-
mote the new art, establishing «photographic studies»
that relate to the first generation of native photographers.
This school proliferates in comparison to the academies
of fine arts mainly sponsored by the Spanish José Fernán-
dez Corridor, the natives Alejandro Bonilla and Luis De-
sangles in the nineteenth century period, and also the
teachers Abelardo Rodríguez Urdaneta, Juan Bautista
Gómez and Celeste Woss y Gil in the twentieth century.

Abelardo Rodríguez Urdaneta (b. 1870) is the artist
of more importance. Bohemian, versatile and recognized
nationally; was a musician, cartoonist, sculptor, photog-
rapher and painter when he founded his academy in
1908, under the protection of the ruler Ramón Cáceres;
academy with many students from the capital city, includ-
ing provincial disciples. His artistic and teaching work
continued until the beginning of the third decade of the
twentieth century.

The beginning of the twentieth century was marked
by the assassination of Ulysses Heureaux in 1899, car-
ried out by opponents from the town of Moca against the
man that had become the arbiter of the nation’s destiny,
ruling through personality cult, and with propensity to-
wards vainglory. Upon the dictator’s death, after Frank
Adrover photographed his corpse, antagonist political

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Danilo De los Santos

groups reappear as anarchists hindering the national de los Caballeros. He was a well-known master photogra-
stability during the period of 1899-1930. Three synchro- pher, painter and sculptor, which among his many works
nized processes from the first lustre (July 1899-November were the Medallions of the Apostles of the Main Church
1916), during which seventeen short-lived governments and Peña and Reynoso’s bust in the Cultural Association
appeared, except that of President Cáceres, who created Lovers of Light. He installs the first personal atelier upon
stability between 1906-1911. The ruler was assassinated returning from Europe, where he held diplomatic post
by opponents who surprised him in his open convert- after living in Puerto Rico. His teaching guided future
ible car, during an evening outing in the capital city. His local artists: Joaquín Priego, Federico Izquierdo, Yoryi
death by conspiracy is documented in three sequential Morel…
works by Abelardo Rodríguez Urdaneta.
The arts, literature and civic oratory change their
After the bloody deed, political anarchy returns sense of direction responding to the growing respect
when several loan agreements between the Dominican towards the wounded national sovereignty. Peynado-
and North American creditors constitute a nominal Hughes Plan emerged as a strategy to neutralize the in-
hand over of the country’s sovereignty. This justifies the creased nationalism. The main result was the appoint-
imperialist military intervention ordered by Thomas W. ment of a provisional president, Juan Bautista Viccini
Wilson, U.S. president in 1916. During that time, Euro- Burgos who heads the civil government (1922-1924),
pean powers were confronted in The First World War. parallel to the permanence of a U.S. military governor.
The United States widened its interference in the Ameri- The plan also establishes the holding of general elections
cas, especially in the Caribbean region. The military in- with a new platform. The State Department from Wash-
tervention of neighbouring Haiti in 1915, preceded the ington convinces Elijah Brache, Federico Velásquez and
occupation of the Dominican country. Horacio Vásquez to form political parties in order to par-
ticipate in the elections. Horacio Vásquez was the most
Territorial control, disarmament, censorship of the recognized leader, who returns as president, though in
press, armed combat and imprisonment of nationalist limited capacity in a process which must comply with all
opponents as the poet Fabio Fiallo, were measures of a the provisions of the interventionist government, such as
military dictatorship that includes the appropriation of the debt incurred during the military occupation and the
customs and the establishment of a repressive police force. guarantee of customs control. President Vasquez’s term
However, Dominican resistance was expressed in various was limited, and plagued with opportunistic careerism
ways, including guerrillas called «gavilleros,» evicted peas- and the belief in his reelection.
ants from their communal lands that led to the growth of
sugar cane plantations and sugar mills. The mobilization In the process of the second decade of the twentieth
of citizens demanding an end to the foreign occupation century, between 1924-1928, Celeste Woss y Gil sets her
«pure and simple,» gave rise to the Dominican National Studio-School upon returning to Santo Domingo after
Union movement, headed by notable intellectuals and being trained abroad. She offers a course in drawing and
feminists. The celebration of the Patriotic Week in 1920 painting in the courtyard of the family home, then goes
is linked to the movement. It is a collective event with away to New York, where she expands her training during
slogans and fundraisers for external campaigns in the 1928-1931. Her return to the country marked the formal
United States and Latin America. establishment of the academy of arts education, which
turns her into a remarkable teachers, in association with
In 1920, Juan Bautista Gómez (b. 1870), establishes other teachers and a student body composed of young
his academy of artistic orientation in his native Santiago

335

Art and History

at the Banco popular dominicano visual arts collection

future painters. A decade prior to those years, the cin-
ematographic invention of the Lumière brothers had a
notable native follower: Arturo Francisco Palau, who had
filmed the short documentary «The Pilgrimage of Virgin
Altagracia» (1921), and the feature film «The Ambush of
Cupid» starring Delia Weber, Pedro Troncoso Sánchez,
Paino Pichardo, among others. The filmmaker Palau had
published a prestigious magazine, «Black and White,»
which circulated between 1908 and 1930, among other
modernist publications.

During these years, graphic design and artistic cari-
cature were represented by exponents like Copito Men-
doza and Bienvenido Gimbernard. The latter was asso-
ciated with the printed advertisement of mass media.
In the 1920s, agricultural fairs and cultural events have
been held, but none like the National Exhibition in the
city of Santiago in 1927; organized by the Chamber of
Commerce, including samples of agriculture, industry,
livestock and art. It had an inter-Antilles flair, and the
art exhibition showcased the work of young painters like
Federico Izquierdo and Octavio A. Morel (Yoryi). The
National Exhibition took place in a large architectural
scene and opened in the presence of President Vásquez,
who showed interest in continuing to rule at the end of
his term in 1928. Vásquez was old and sick when reelect-
ed. His reelection provoked a national crisis and political
opposition that coincided with the Great Depression of
1929, which affected the finances and the global mar-
ket. At this juncture of capitalist and political crisis, the
Dominican opposition concocts the Santiago civic move-
ment, which turned into an armed revolution against the
gubernatorial seat of the capital of the country causing
the overthrow of Horacio Vásquez.

The civic revolution led by Rafael Estrella Ureña,
produced no bloodshed, however it uncovered a conspir-
acy that included General Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, cun-
ning military man who won the 1930 election process.
The General establishes an authoritarian government,
eliminating all opposition with the support of the army

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Danilo De los Santos

commanded by him; imposing a one-party state and es- Dominican Ateneo (Santo Domingo, 1938), after leav-
tablishing a monopoly, and once released from customs ing the country for twenty years, living in Spain, France
control, nationalizing the banks and currency, as well as and Mexico, where he embraces Cubism and neo-hu-
much of the sugar industry. Jingoistic and promoter of manist Classicism. His work was little understood, ex-
imposed collective servitude, notwithstanding the ad- cept among counted intellectuals such as Ramón Mar-
verse conspiratorial reaction, that included armed inva- rero Aristy, who wrote and published a long review when
sions by anti-Trujillo’s groups organized abroad. the artist decided to continue his nomadic way of life
in Europe, a continent which at that time was at the
During the first decade of Trujillo’s dictatorship, the mercy of modern totalitarian governments; under ideals
artistic endeavor provides encouraging initiatives and promoted by fascism, Nazism and Stalinism; and in ad-
manifestations. In addition to the academy founded in dition, was involved in the Second World War that be-
the capital city in 1931 by artist Celeste Woss y Gil, other gan in 1939. That year, the painter form La Vega, Darío
related events befall on different dates. In 1930, Enrique Suro (b. 1918), performs the first solo exhibition in the
García Godoy (b. 1886), had returned from Europe es- Dominican capital. On the aforementioned date, Jewish
tablishing in his native La Vega the Academy of Drawing German teacher George Hausdorf (b. 1894) establishes a
and Painting, in conjunction with the teacher and nephew drawing and painting school. He represents a wave of Eu-
Darío Suro García Godoy. In 1932, three more individual ropean artists and intellectuals who are welcomed into
academies are founded. For instance, the one established the country as refugees from ideological persecution and
by Aida Ibarra (b. 1911), trained in Paris and subscribed to violent armed conflict. Among his students are the very
impressionism. She gave many lectures in Santo Domingo young Aquiles Azar García, Marianela Jiménez and Gil-
and Santiago about that particular artistic trend. Also, the berto Fernández Diez.
draftsman, printmaker and painter Yoryi Morel (b. 1906)
had his workshop in the Cibao city of La Vega. The painter The European immigration was a significant support
celebrated an exhibit in the capital under the auspices of for the arts, education, industry and social transforma-
the Ladies Club (1932). Tomás Hernández Franco, known tion, expanding the changes towards the end of the nine-
intellectual and poet who has focused in revealing aspects of teenth century. Culminating the 1930s, autocracy and
this new artist, made the introduction. The third example is the cult to the head of state and Lord of a modern fascist
«Abelardo Rodríguez Urdaneta Academy,» founded by his or totalitarian fiefdom is installed, in which, the dictator
disciple Rosalidia Ureña, in San Pedro de Macorís. «Tito was kept informed through a system of espionage and un-
Canepa» (b. 1916) was born in this city called «Sultana del veiling of any attempt of conspiracy and political oppo-
Este.» He goes into exile in New York, where he is projected sition. Violence bloodied the country overflowing with
as a remarkable painter of the Dominican diasporas. the massacre of thousands of Haitians in 1937. White-
philia (or the desire to be white) and Hispanic lineage
The prestigious Master Abelard died in 1933, the including other doctrinal arguments, were imposed as ra-
year in which his works are in the first room of modern cial ideology in the Dominican mulatto society; a vulgar
art, installed by the initiative of Abigail Mejía at the Na- justification for the attempt of Dominicanizing the non
tional Museum. The collection also includes paintings Dominican, the banking, currency, the border and to
of Arturo Grullón and Yoryi Morel, who establishes his deny ethno-cultural blackness. It was a local implemen-
training academy in his native Santiago city. tation of the Hitler Aryan racism against other ethnic
groups considered inferior.
In the second half of the decade, the Puerto Plata
native Jaime Colson (b. 1901), exhibited his work in the

337

Art and History

at the Banco popular dominicano visual arts collection

The presence of European refugees, especially Span- with biographical sketches and also pictures of them and
iards, encouraged racism against Haitians, who were still of their works.
been used as laborers for the sugar cane plantations. With
the presence of refugees from the Old Continent, the dic- 1941. Ángel Botello, José Vela Zanetti and Alfonso
tator Trujillo undertook sound agricultural growth pro- Vila (Shum) exhibited solos in the capital city.
grams and socio cultural programs in urban areas under
the guidance of high level professionals, and following his 1942. National School of Fine Arts is founded un-
own political instinct for all that meant development, with der the direction of Manolo Pascual (Bilbao, 1902), a
the exception of democratic liberties. The institutionaliza- renowned sculptor trained at the Royal Academy of San
tion of the arts takes hold due to the work of Rafael Díaz Fernando in Madrid, with a tight professional curricu-
Niese (1897-1950), highly knowledgeable in humanism lum including solo exhibitions in the Spanish capital,
and aesthetic modernity. Upon his return from Europe in Rome, in collective events and the Biennale of Venice
in 1939, he became a cultural promoter with a vision for and a record of works in international collections. The
schools, arts groups, sponsorship of artists and institu- Academy of Celeste Woss y Gil, is assimilated to the new
tions as well as an effective entertainment program and government institution and she is appointed as faculty.
the extension of culture to the national level.
–President Trujillo inaugurates the National Exhibi-
Diaz Niese’s return to the country, as well as that of tion, which has the character of First Biennial of Visual
a contingent of exiled creators, marks the rise and im- Arts. A total of 300 works representing 28 artists, works
pact of the arts in general, manifesting unprecedented of which 44 were acquired by the State as a first funded
growth. Since 1939, Refugee artists held individual exhi- Dominican Gallery of Art in gubernatorial project. Draw-
bitions. Among them are George Hausdorf (painter and ings, sculptures, engravings, paintings and a fresco paint-
engraver), Ángel Botello (painter), Blas Carlos Arveros ing, make up the collection purchased by RD $ 3,500.00.
(cartoonist), José Vela Zanetti (painter), Manolo Pascual Juan Bautista Gómez, Federico Izquierdo, Yoryi Morel,
(sculptor and draftsman), Francisco Veras (potter). The Darío Suro and Celeste Woss y Gil are among the artists
year 1939 puts in motion a process of foundational exhi- whose works were acquired.
bitions that characterize the fourth decade of the twenti-
eth century. –Rafael Arzeno established in Puerto Plata the San
Rafael Academy of Painting and Music, the same year in
1940. It’s created by law the General Department of which was held The Poster Contest, on the occasion of
Fine Arts, industrial arts and crafts. Rafael Díaz Niese the Job Fair. Refugee artist Antonio Bernard González
was appointed director. (Toni) won the only prize awarded.

–The First Exhibition of Fine Arts is showcased in –Photographer Kurt Schnitzier (Conrad) presents in-
the National Palace, in the year cited, including precur- dividual exhibitions in the cities of Santo Domingo and
sors artists like Rodríguez Urdaneta, Alejandro Bonilla Santiago; where there are discussions on whether pho-
and Luis Desangles; native artists of modernity as Celeste tography is art.
Woss y Gil, Darío Suro, Yoryi Morel, and a core of foreign
residents: Joseph Alloza, Ángel Botello, Francisco Vázquez 1943. It is inaugurated the National Art Gallery with
Díaz (Compostela), Joan Junyer, Manolo Pascual, Fran- the first exhibition of self-portraits by 24 artists, includ-
cisco Rivero Gil, Albert William, José Vela Zanetti… These ing Darío Suro, Celeste Woss y Gil, Federico Izquierdo,
modern exhibitors appeared in the publication of a catalog Vela Zanetti, Gilberto Hernández Ortega, José Gausachs,
Antonio Prats-Ventós, and George Hausdorf.

–Eugenio Fernández Granell shows in the National
Gallery of Fine Arts the first individual surrealist exhibition

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Danilo De los Santos

that takes place in the country. He then gives the lecture
«Surrealism and Painting» in the Alpha and Omega Society.
The painter is linked to the movement of the «Surprised
Poetry» whose supporters proclaim the slogan art with the
universal man.

–At the National Gallery also have solo exhibitions
José Rovira (Spaniard) and Ernesto Lothar (Austrian of
Jewish descend).

1944. Centennial Year of the Republic.
–Second Biennial Exhibition is held, participating
26 artists such as Federico Izquierdo, Manolo Pascual,
José Vela Zanetti, George Hausdorf, Joseph Gausachs,
Darío Suro and Antonio Prats-Ventós.
–First Fine Art traveling exhibition runs through
several cities in the Cibao region, showing paintings of
Celeste Woss y Gil, Darío Suro, Yoryi Morel, Federico Iz-
quierdo, Juan Bautista Gómez, José Gausachs, Marianela
Jiménez and Gilberto Hernández Ortega, among others.
1945. The government sets the annual Grand Award
President Trujillo for graduating students of the National
School of Fine Arts. Gilberto Hernández Ortega and Luis
Martínez Richiez get awards in sculpture.
–Retrospective exhibition at the National Gallery of
maestro Enrique García Godoy, comprises more than
200 works, among them, water-colours, drawings, studies
and paintings.
–José Vela Zanetti was appointed professor of the
School of Fine Arts.
–Painters George Hausdorf, Eugenio Fernández
Granell and Vela Zanetti hold individual exhibitions at
the National Gallery.
–Mario Grullón, a «Yoryi Academy» student presents
his work at the school’s annual exhibition in Santiago de
los Caballeros.
1946. Gilberto Hernández Ortega holds his first solo
exhibition at the National Gallery, exhibiting drawings
and paintings.
–The 3rd National Visual Arts Biennial brings to-
gether a selection of 62 works by 22 artists. The jury

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Art and History

at the Banco popular dominicano visual arts collection

awarded prizes to Darío Suro, Vela Zanetti, Manolo
Pascual, Antonio Prats-Ventós, Luis Martínez Richiez
and George Hausdorf, among others.

Exhibition of the posters contest promoting the
Dominican Republic with the theme of national typical
clothing, where Eckert Mariano was awarded the first
prize.

José Gausachs serves as sub-director of the National
School of Fine Arts.

1947. Darío Suro holds solo exhibitions at the Na-
tional Gallery and the Society The Progressive of La Vega
city, after returning from Mexico, where he was living.
He was appointed General Director of Fine Arts.

–Luis Martínez Richiez installs what is considered to
be the first solo exhibition by a Dominican Sculptor.

1948. The 4th Biennial Exhibition of Art is recorded
with the participation of 23 authors of 67 selected works,
which had negritude as main topic. Works of Antonio
Prats-Ventós and Vela Zanetti were highlighted.

–Yoryi Morel was appointed subdirector of the Na-
tional School of Fine Arts, after a trip to the United
States, invited by the State Department.

–Antonio Prats-Ventós holds a personal exhibition.
1949. Clara Ledesma shows her first art exhibition
as part of a collective of 10 Dominican women painters
who attend in Brazil the Río de Janeiro’s Women Exhibi-
tion. She obtained an Honor diploma.
–Second solo exhibition of Gilberto Hernández
Ortega.
1950. Jaime Colson returns home after living many
years abroad (Spain, France and Mexico). The govern-
ment appointed him as General Director of Fine Arts.
–Celebration of the 5th Biennial of Art where 80
works out of 47 authors are presented, including Ada Bal-
cácer, Mariano Eckert, Joseph Gausachs, Mario Grullón,
Gilberto Hernández Ortega, Federico Izquierdo, Marianela
Jiménez, Clara Ledesma, Sunday Liz, Yoryi Morel, Guillo
Pérez, Eligio Pichardo, José Vela Zanetti, Martínez Richiez,
Manolo Pascual, Prats-Ventós, Nidia Serra…

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Danilo De los Santos

The rise of national arts kept pace during the period buildings that housed the «Fair of Peace and Fraternity of
1950-1960, characterized by political exaltation and set- the Free World,» opulent celebration that marked the de-
backs faced by the tyranny of Trujillo. The artistic his- cline of the regime. In successive years, the dictatorship
tory grows with the new and diversified generation of faces armed invasion of exiled opponents, the outbreak
visual arts creators; with five recorded official biennials, of conspiratorial activities, the opposition of the Catho-
Arts reviews published in newspapers, and the encour- lic Church, conflicts with several American countries
agement of individual and group exhibitions planned by that generated diplomatic breakups and the economic
government institutions, schools of Fine Arts, the Na- sanctions lead by the United States. In May 1961, a plot
tional Gallery, the Dominican Party, Cultural Centers produces another historic tyrannicide, with the result of
(Alliance Française and Dominican-American Central), a rapid change in the nation, when civil liberties and par-
group movements as National Artists’ Circle, the Nucle- ticipatory democracy were restored, bringing forth new
us Ábside that promotes modern Catholic art and Group times.
Four, which include Jaime Colson, Joseph Gausachs, Gil-
berto Hernández Ortega and Clara Ledesma, pioneering The emergence of civil, business, militant and po-
nucleus that emerged in 1954. litical associations, all free from nepotistic authoritarian-
ism, are dynamic centers of five years during which ap-
The artistic boom includes private places that pro- pear various governmental forms (the Balaguer mandate,
mote exhibitions like the Studio Ledesma’s and Gal- Council of State, Bosch Constitutional Government and
lery Aufant’s, representing novelties as the new names de facto Triumvirates). Gubernatorial forms as the tenure
of sculptors, artists and painters: Paul Giudicelli, Mario in office of President Balaguer, considered Trujillo’s last
Gaspar Cruz, Silvano Lora, Ada Balcácer, Fernando Peña proxy (1960-1961), the formation of a Provisional State
Defilló, Sunday Liz, Guillo Pérez, Eligio Pichardo, Hilario Council (1961-1962), Juan Bosch mandate by electoral
Rodríguez and Antonio Toribio, which add up to the vote (February-Septembre,1963) overthrown by a coup by
most recognized: Yoryi Morel, Celeste Woss y Gil, Jaime right-wing sectors and the de facto regime that integrate
Colson, Darío Suro, Prats-Ventós, Hernández Ortega, several Triumvirates (1963-1965) facing social conflicts
Martínez Richiez… They are all leading figures in indi- and guerrilla uprisings, culminating with the revolu-
vidual shows, exhibiting their works in new collectives, tion of April 24 in the capital city, and the second U.S.
and obtaining awards in Dominican biennials and in in- military intervention. Despite the instability brought by
ternational competitions. many governments and the aftermath, the democratic ex-
perience manifests initiatives and measures both official
The construction and opening of the Palace of Fine and private.
Arts, built on a block with gardening, with colossal
sculptures set by Prats-Ventós and large murals by Vela The granting of autonomy to municipal councils, in-
Zanetti, define a style revival of neoclassical architecture, dustries and state institutions, became a breaking point
that rigid dictatorships use as a sign of political grandeur to the government monopoly that allowed private sec-
in many Western capitals; «Ciudad Trujillo,» name given tors to undertake cultural, business and financing ini-
by dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo to the First City of tiatives. From the private sector emerged Development
Santo Domingo, is a clear example of the latter. The Association in Santiago de los Caballeros (July 6, 1961),
opening of the Palace of Fine Arts in 1956, was part of whose members undertook the patronage of the High-
the celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the «Trujil- er Institute of Agriculture, Health Center of Santiago,
lista Era» in (1955). The anniversary was held in a set of Cibao Association of Savings and Loan, Banco Popular

341

Art and History

at the Banco popular dominicano visual arts collection

Dominicano and Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra and Julio Susana. Clara Ledesma and Jaime Colson ob-
in 1962. tained a recognition in drawing.

The «Banco Popular Dominicano» established as a Lepe, Omega Peláez and Susana are emerging artists
company in August 23th, 1963, is historically the first during the five year period we are focusing on. Some of
national bank with equity capital authorized by the Mon- the artist associated with that time are: Aquiles Azar,
etary Board to begin operations in that year. The political Iván Tovar, Elsa Núñez, Ramón Oviedo, Cándido Bidó,
crisis that triggered the coup against the constitutional José Rincón Mora and Soucy de Pellerano. Almost all
government of Juan Bosch, determined that its inaugural of them attend the First Annual Contest sponsored by
opening were held in a modern building in the Colonial «La Aurora»; under the auspices of an emerging fam-
Zone of Santo Domingo, on January 2, 1964. The «Bank ily patronage that also breaks the monopoly of official
of Alexander,» as it began to be known, given the pas- competitions concentrated in the nation’s capital. Paul
sionate charismatic character of the manager, Alejandro Giudicelli, Guillo Pérez, Martínez Richiez, Gilberto
E. Grullón Espaillat, featured a Promotion Board con- Hernández Ortega, Mario Gaspar Cruz and Clara Ledes-
stituted by entrepreneurs from all major regions of the ma are all honoured experienced authors, while the new
country. In October 1964, it had branches in Higüey, ones, such as Omega Peláez and José Lepe Cestero, were
Moca, San Francisco de Macorís and Santiago de los Ca- recognized.
balleros.
On April 24, 1965, there is a revolt by two military
Alejandro E. Grullón Espaillat was one of the San- garrisons, receiving massive support from civilians mobi-
tiago natives who supported the idea of Bishop Hugo lizing in the capital city. The rebels revoke the Triumvi-
Eduardo Polanco Brito to establish the Universidad rate presided by Donald Reid Cabral, naming José Rafael
Católica Madre y Maestra, founded by the Dominican Molina Ureña Constitutional President, in a ceremony
Episcopal on September 9, 1962. It became the first pri- held at the National Palace on April 25. The Govern-
vate institution of higher education, stimulating a new mental headquarters were bombed by military aircraft
cultural takeoff for the Cibao region, the nation and city opposed to those events, ushering the formation of
overlooking the Yaque river, where the tobacco company two gubernatorial sides: the reactionary one, chaired by
«La Aurora,» founded in 1903 by Eduardo León Jimenes, General Wessin and Wessin, and the constitutional one,
expands its cigar production with brands of cigarettes. It headed by Colonel Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó.
is an equity capital family business that has the initiative The accusation of the Embassy of the United States of
to foster a national art competition of a private nature, Communist infiltration in the ranks of the revolution-
starting in 1964. aries brought about an American military intervention,
expected since Trujillo’s assassination. The interven-
Two official biennials were held during 1960-1965: tion barricaded the revolutionaries in the colonial cen-
the tenth edition (1960), whose jury awarded Paul Giu- tre where they fought, repelling the enemy’s firing and
dicelli and Eligio Pichardo in painting, Omega Carmen bombings, and the attempt to control the rebellious Do-
Peláez and Mario Gaspar Cruz in sculpture, and Leo- minicans. War, national honour and artistic production
poldo Pérez (Lepe), a special drawing prize. The eleventh join together in a heroic deed where poets, musicians
edition was recorded three years later (1963) with the fol- and painters contributed and used their work as a mani-
lowing awards in painting: Paul Giudicelli, Clara Ledes- festo. In the revolutionary sector were Jaime Colson,
ma, Darío Suro and Guillo Pérez. Also, these awards in Gilberto Hernández Ortega, Silvano Lora, Ada Balcácer,
sculpture: Antonio Prats-Ventós, Luis Martínez Richiez

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Danilo De los Santos

Leopoldo Pérez, Ramón Oviedo, Justo Susana, Asdrúbal
Domínguez, Virgilio García, Cándido Bidó, Soucy Pelle-
rano, Elsa Nunez… In addition, to the major lyric voices
of our poetry.

The intermediaries under the leadership of the
Apostolic Nuncio Clarizzio Emmanuele sought and
obtained a peace agreement between the sectors in
conflict, agreement that caused Hector García Godoy’s
interim government, the departure of Caamaño Deñó,
and national elections, which allowed the victory of
Joaquín Balaguer, a long time politician who traveled
from North America to the country, amid the turmoil.
Promoted as a «Peace Candidate» and sponsored by the
U.S. government, the former president and Trujillo
proxy initiated a mandate supported by the Reformist
Party, and characterized by economic and political con-
trol, developmentalism and persecution of opponents.
Balaguer served 12 consecutive years since he was sworn
in as president in 1966.

During Balaguer presidency, from 1962-1978, the
visual arts continue to evolve with calls for the Eduardo
León Jimenes Contest, including the names that com-
plete the artistic generation of 1960 and the link with
the names that emerge during the 1970s, mostly gradu-
ates of the National School of Fine Arts, as well as those
related to the schools and teachers in the provinces of
Santiago, San Pedro de Macorís, Puerto Plata and La
Vega. The phenomenon of cultural groupings, includes
professional and novice artists. The grouping determines
the impetus given to photography and graphic arts, in-
dependent contests of collective and solo exhibitions, as
well as discussion on the mission of art as ideological
engagement or independent exercise, which is to say «art
for art’s sake.» Art collecting is driven to new venues such
as private companies and the emerging middle class tied
to governmental power and the public-works program
aiming at transforming many cities. If some master plan
draws attention, this is defined by multifamily buildings,
large and new avenues, creating a cultural space library,

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at the Banco popular dominicano visual arts collection

museums and great theatre, with Santo Domingo as the
fundamental hegemonic city, even when other provincial
cities are not excluded from the public-works program.

Regarding the appreciations already discussed, below
you will find a summary of the main events associated
with the ongoing artistic endeavours.

–The generation of 1960, whose first group have
been cited (Bidó, Lepe, Elsa Núñez, Oviedo, Tovar…),
in addition to those who display their work in collective
or individually exhibitions between 1966-1970: Antonio
Guadalupe, Norberto Santana, Félix Brito, José Perdo-
mo, Virgilio Méndez, José Ramírez Conde, José Ramón
Rotellini, Rosa Tavárez, José Félix Moya, Roberto Flores,
Vicente Pimentel, Adolfo Piantini, Justo Susana, Geo
Ripley, Julio Susana, José Miura, Adolfo Piantini, Am-
able Sterling…

–In 1970, the following artists are added: Dioni-
sio Blanco, Rafael Amable, Barón Arias, Luis Bretón,
Carolina Cepeda, Lora Thelma, Carlos Hidalgo, Freddy
Javier, Ramiro Matos, Said Musa, Fernando Ureña Rib,
Julio York, Hugo Mata, Willy Pérez, Cuquito Peña,
Francisco Santos…

–This grouping phenomenon gets its drive from the
movement «Art and Liberation,» which Silvano Lora
headed in the early 60s, and also with the arts exhibi-
tion of the group «The Three,» associated to Cándido
Bidó, Elsa Núñez and Leopoldo Pérez (Lepe). During
the following five years period there is the emergence
of distinct groups like «The Fist,» «The Mask» and «The
Torch,» which includes writers and painters. «Projects»
is another group composed of professional and emerg-
ing artists: Peña Defilló, Domingo Liz, Ada Balcácer,
Mario Gaspar Cruz, Ramón Oviedo, Félix Gontier and
Thimo Pimentel, which appears in 1968, date when stu-
dents from Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra join
in together, founding the group «Friordano» integrated
by Daniel Henríquez, Frinette Torres, Danicel, Orlando
Menicucci and Nonora Fondeur. In Santiago, Wilfredo
García and Julio González lead «Thursday 68,» a group

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of photographers that promotes contemporary photog- host the XII Biennial (August 1972) and afterwards
raphy as a movement that adds many new artists of the the thirteenth edition (August 1974). The winners of
lens: Domingo Batista, Pedro José Borrell, and Vitico the 1972 biennial were: Gilberto Hernández Ortega,
Cabrera, as well as experienced independent photogra- Soucy de Pellerano, Domingo Liz, Luichi Martínez
phers like Santiago Morel y Apeco, Ted Jiménez, and Richiez, Cándido Bidó, and Vicente Pimentel. In the
even young people like Martín López and Jorge Morel 1974 Biennial, the awards recognized Ramón Oviedo,
Abdala; all of them defining a different path to Domini- Orlando Menicucci, Jorge Severino, Manuel Montilla,
can photography. Francisco Santos, Aquiles Azar, Luichi Martínez Richiez,
Domingo Liz, and Ramiro Matos.
New groups are created in the following decade
(1970): «Atlante,» headed by Alberto Bass, «Reflections,» The Dominican College of Fine Artists was founded
and figuring Rosa Tavárez and Freddy Javier as members, in 1977, CODAP, promoted by a steering committee
«The Six,» integrated by Alonso Cuevas, José García Cor- formed by Alberto Bass, Freddy Javier, Freddy Rodríguez,
dero, Manuel Montilla, and Alberto Ulloa, among oth- Juan Medina, and Ramón Oviedo, among others. Guillo
ers. In Santiago arises «Sinople,» another college student Pérez served as the first president of the new school.
group, including Carolina Cepeda and José Mercader This private initiative sponsored significant events: the
among the members. APEC Art Festival, aimed at encouraging and recogniz-
ing creativity in children (1970); Royal Bank of Canada
«The Mask,» a group which includes Aquiles Azar, Competition, aimed at young painters (1974-1975), the
Freddy Ginebra, and Ángel Hachée, as well as the Frior- «Independence Contest,» sponsored by Casa de España
danos group and «Thursday 68,» organized nationwide de Santo Domingo, recording several editions, with the
competitions with institutional support from organi- following artists obtaining remarkable awards: Peña De-
zations such as the Catholic University of Santiago. In filló, Guillo Pérez, Daniel Henríquez and Shum Prats
this community, the sponsorship of the León Jimenes (1975 contest), Jorge Severino and Alberto Ulloa (1977
Group, resumes the contest that was interrupted due to contest), Elsa Núñez, Rosa Tavárez, Dionisio Blanco
the conflicts of 1965, recording seven other annual edi- and Tete Marella, among others (1979 contest). Com-
tions from 1966 to 1972. Artists of different generations memorating a decade of academic history, the Univer-
are rewarded several times: Guillo Pérez Peña Defilló, sidad Católica Madre y Maestra organized «Expo-New
Domingo Liz, Ramón Oviedo, Cándido Bidó, Aquiles Image: 10 avant-garde artists,» collective exhibition in
Azar, Vicente Pimentel, José Cestero, Delia Weber, Soucy which participated Ada Balcácer, Peña Defilló, Lepe,
de Pellerano, and also newly awarded artists: Rosa Idalia Domingo Liz, Félix Gontier, Prats-Ventós, Soucy de
García, Asdrúbal Domínguez, Thelma Lora and Virgilio Pellerano, Rosa Idalia García, Adolfo Piantini, Dani-
Méndez. cel, Daniel Henríquez and Geo Ripley. The exhibition
was displayed in the modern building of the University
After nearly ten years of not having official compe- Library J. Armando Bermúdez, which became memo-
titions, the City Hall of the capital organizes the First rable due to the collection of works of sculpture, draw-
Biennial of Santo Domingo, which was supposed to be ing, installation and painting.
inaugurated on May 1st, 1972, but political disagree-
ments between the Mayor and President Balaguer, pre- The construction of «Plaza de la Cultura Juan Pablo
vented holding the exhibition more than once, although Duarte,» located in Santo Domingo, was a significant
the selection of artists and the names of the winners was event in the institutional history of arts and education. It
announced. To compensate, the government decided to

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is linked to President Balaguer’s major public-works pro- year faced the «PRD and the Patriotic Front,» an alliance
gram. Three museums, a library, the National Theatre between the Dominican Liberation Party and the Re-
and the Gallery of Modern Art were built in a spacious formist Party. Their candidate, Leonel Fernández, won
area with gardens, sculptures and fountains. The Art the 1996 presidency, ruling from 1996 to 2000.
Gallery was opened in December 1976, presenting vari-
ous collections such as the selection of E. León Jimenes’s During the last twenty two years of the twentieth cen-
Contest awards, the monumental size sculptures «For- tury, the endeavor of the visual arts shows increasing con-
ests» by Antonio Prats-Ventós and loans from arts collec- tinuity with the emergence of two generations of artists,
tors such as Jesús Hernández and Franz Naescher. One that of 1980 and of 1990, offering the former an organi-
month after the inauguration, almost 40 thousand spec- zational and militant collectivism that created interest in
tators had visit it. critics from the media and the many galleries. The 1980
period involves the boom of the arts, which entails the
A contentious electoral process due to political de- responsiveness of a larger market of collectors and the
bates, intrusions of the military and the attempt of avoid- appearance of promoting cultural spaces. Casa de Teatro,
ing the transfer of power, did not prevent the end of the the Hispanic Culture Centre, the Volunteer of the Royal
12 years of Balaguer’s Reformist party. The candidate of Houses in Santo Domingo, the Cultural Centre Ms. Er-
the Dominican Revolutionary Party, Antonio Guzmán, cilia Pepín, and Art House Inc., in Santiago de los Ca-
was elected president and sworn in on August 16, 1978. balleros, represent new spaces that scheduled different
The ruler’s suicide near the end of the presidential term, activities, including educational workshops or formal art
determined that Vice President Jacobo Majluta became education, like in the case of Santiago’s’ cultural centre.
the president in 1982 until the next elections, which
turned Salvador Jorge Blanco into the third PRD presi- In the 1980s, two noteworthy events are recorded: the
dent during 1982-1986. The period was characterized by founding of Artists City of Altos de Chavón, with diverse
internal party conflicts, economic crisis, the Internation- programming that includes a School of Design linked to
al Monetary Fund intervention, and street riots which Parsons School of Design in New York City. The other
produced a violent outcome. major event is the celebration of the First Symposium of
Sculpture of Santo Domingo, which brought together local
Joaquín Balaguer returned to power when national and international artists of the tridimensional art, working
democracy was starting to take hold, ruling a ten-years in the gardens of the Gallery of Modern Art. The event was
term (1986-1994). His presidency was characterized by supported by institutions like Banco Popular Dominicano.
some political tolerance, the return of large public works
constructions and the allegations of electoral fraud dur- University institutions are not alienated from art
ing elections of 1990 and 1994. The two political parties events, nor the national government, with its biennial
contending were: the Reformist Dominican Party and and the Gallery of Modern Art. Neither the banking
the Dominican Revolutionary Party, already fractured by and industrial business, which increase in various ways
Juan Bosch who founded a second militancy, that of the the support to the artistic culture in general, establish-
Dominican Liberation Party. ing foundations like the enclave of Altos de Chavón in
La Romana, and the Eduardo León Jimenes, in the city
In 1996, Balaguer remained president of the country, overlooking the Yaque river, where the Bishop starts the
although his government was reduced to two years by con- Santiago’s Cultural Plaza Project, in the center of the city.
flicts that ended up producing a «Pact for Democracy,» Anthological exhibitions of historical or modern nature
mediated by the Catholic Church. The elections in that and retrospectives are framed as a phenomenon with little

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precedent in the process of the aforementioned decades,
during which it is also generated the rise of bibliographic
catalogs, monographs and history of arts and artists. In
addition, in the Dominican map one can clearly notice
several local places with art tradition: Bonao, La Vega,
Jarabacoa, Santiago, Puerto Plata, San Cristóbal, Moca,
La Romana, San Juan de la Maguana, San Francisco de
Macorís and San Pedro de Macorís, celebrating the cen-
tenary of its foundation with various events, including a
painting contest.

The return of the national biennial ordered by Presi-
dent Guzmán and its new exhibition ground, the Gal-
lery of Modern Art, accomplishes three editions between
1979 and1984, with the inclusion of new competitive
categories (photography, printmaking…). Since 1981, the
restored E. León Jimenes contest shows steady progress,
becoming a biennial competition which holds ten new
editions until 2000. With the fluctuations caused by gov-
ernmental changes and the dependence on presidential
decrees, the national biennial records five editions be-
tween 1990 and 1999, transforming its content, since its
name change (Biennial of Visual Arts) to the organization
of their bases, increasing from five to nine categories. A
new event is added to the aforementioned: the Drawing
Hall, established by gallery owner Mildred Canahuate
while directing the Arawak Foundation. With several ex-
hibitions between 1991 and 1993, the show became an
international event since 1995. If the founding objective
was to promote and recognize drawing’s autonomous di-
mension, the goal was to achieve it with the installation
of a specialized museum.

All competitions granted awards to recognized cre-
ators (Bidó, De Pellerano, Cestero, Richiez Martínez, Hi-
lario Rodríguez, Rosa Tavárez…), almost all the awards
recognize many names of the new generation of the 80s
and 90s, as Hilario Olivo, Tony Capellán, Jesús Desan-
gles, Jorge Pineda, Raquel Paiewonsky, Maritza Álvarez
and, among others, Raúl Recio. Some of them are deserv-
ing of the awards given in the First and Second Biennial

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of Caribbean and Central American Painting, promoted and renewed liberalism, social awareness and reactionary
by the Museum of Modern Art, the new name of Gallery anachronisms, pessimism and hope, they all are shadows
Plaza de la Cultura. and lights. These elements enlighten those who believe
and feel the Altagracian homeland, familiar, tricolour
Because of their programmatic nature, the national and Trinitarian which was revamped with the discussion
exhibitions contests became far-reaching public events, on our modern Dominican democracy years ago (1961-
also obtained by a variety of exhibitions such as: «Art 1964), years in which actions and foundational dreams
since Independence 1844-1969,» organized at the Na- emerged, as Banco popular, which rises with credible cre-
tional Gallery (1982), «100 Years of Dominican Paint- dentials similar to the erected Architectural Tower with
ing, Continuity and Rupture,» centennial exhibition of colossal duplication of the ancient Cordón door, work
Brugal & Co. (1888-1988), the sequential samples «In that was executed by Pedro José Borrell, and inaugurated
Search of the Roots of Dominican Art,» organized by in 1992, and since that date called the «Popular Tower.»
Club Art in 1992 and 1993, and among others «An- In this building, they exhibit and intimately collect the
thology of Santiago’s XX Century Art,» consisting of bulk of its Art Collection.
four sequenced samples in 1996, organized by the San-
tiago Board, showcases in the Town Hall and in Santo In all the territorial branches where Banco Popu-
Domingo with the support of Banco Popular Domini- lar offers its reliable and diverse services, is shown the
cano. This is the first bank sponsoring in New York miraculous icon of the Virgin from Higüey. The Alta-
at the Collective «Contemporary Dominican Art,» The gracia Province and its basilica, become annual route of
Sing Gallery, with works by Gaspar Mario Cruz, Eligio offerings and sponsorship of the banking family headed
Pichardo, Domingo Liz, Silvano Lora, Paul Giudicelli, by charismatic entrepreneur Don Alejandro Grullón
Ramón Oviedo, Peña Defilló and Rincón Mora. The who, incidentally, is the promoter of the collection of
retrospectives were the preamble samples of Gilberto drawings, sculptures, photographs and paintings that
Hernández Ortega, Yoryi Morel, respectively in 1978 summarizes the book «Art Treasures of Banco Popular
and 1979, subsequently adding Jaime Colson, Darío Dominicano,» authored by Jeannette Miller, renowned
Suro, José Vela Zanetti, Silvano Lora, Ramón Oviedo, academic, critic and historian. Marc Van Troostenberghe
Luis Desangles (Sisito), almost all of them with careful is responsible for the photographic reproductions, with
editions and catalogs, plus copious monographs about bilingual edition, printed in full colour in 2001. It is the
artists and national art history. only collection treasured by a private institution that was
made public through a book and sample exhibition held
The crucial year 2000, the border between two cen- at the Museum of Modern Art in 2002.
turies, one that ends and another that is born, drags the
maelstrom of events of recent decades (1980-1990), as The accumulation of Dominican art takes place in
vulnerable as the extension of one single insular junc- a similar fashion as the story of the Popular Financing
tion –own and near– already incorporated to global rela- Group created by Don Alejandro Grullón, considered
tions and universal links. Such confluence takes place in the father of Dominican banking, as private entity and
a country that fluctuates with two economies, that of the foundational milestone that marks the differentiation
agricultural land and the urban industrial and commer- from gubernatorial and foreign banks with branches in
cial one, both dual and contradictory at the same time, the country. It is composed of multi-bank companies,
as the national condition dependent of new neocolonial credit business, real estate, monetary shares, and various
forms. Opulence and social deprivation, conservatism financing services, including institutional policies, the

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Popular Group has an international projection, spread- do. And Banco Popular has been characterized by supporting
ing to various American locations: New York, Panamá, and exalting Dominican art and its protagonists, visual artists.»
Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman, Haiti… The scope of the (Presentation «Art Treasures of Banco Popular Domini-
banking group have been treasured as institutional expe- cano,» p.2001).
rience of growth and development in the contemporary
evolution of our nation. Alongside a historical institu- The firm steps of Mr. Alexander, his religious faith,
tional framework, full of actions and financial concre- led him to undertake the 1,500 faithful reproduction of
tions essentially intangible, also the extent of the capi- images of the Virgin in the likeness of the one at the
tal or tangible assets, such as monetary capital and the Basilica of Higuey, especially blessed by Pope John Paul
network of edifications that identify the Banco Popular II at the Vatican. To make that reproduction a special
Dominicano. permission was gotten, never granted before, since they
had to remove the original piece and photograph it with
The tangible and intangible are found as coordinates great care to not affect the historical relic, not only due to
that define effectively the mission of Banco Popular Do- the antiquity of the sculptural piece, but to its Christian
minicano not only as a financial venture, but as a type of significance.
multiplied initiative which includes forestry efforts, sup-
port of cultural values, steadfastness in the Altagracian More than a thousand works acquired with the as-
faith, and favoring education in general: academic, civic, sistance of Justo Liberato, curator and custodian with
sporting, educational, recreational and art in all its ex- long cognitive experience of Dominican visual arts, are
pressions. Archeology, popular and symphonic concerts, part of the artistic treasure of the bank, treasure which
architecture, ballet, museum, bibliography, folklore, mu- lend itself to conceiving different anthological gazes.
sic, visual arts, moving art like the film camera or static The one which breaks down the themes of landscape,
like drawings, sculpture, photography, printmaking and of costumbrismo, of monumental architecture, the still
painting and the art of recycling. life and the human figure; Another one linking the top-
ics: space, time, body, drama and myth, which defined
Sponsorship of exhibitions by notable Dominicans the inaugural exhibition of Perelló Cultural Center
artist and art collecting by the bank allows us to recog- (Baní, September 2011), an exhibition titled «Linked
nize that in any space occupied by the Popular Group Fields,» consisting of a selection of works loaned with
there is a place for Dominican art, consecrating itself as the support of Manuel A. Grullón, Chairman of Banco
a sponsorship zone that includes the reproduction of the Popular. Yet other gazes can be supported by a teacher
Altagracia’s icon from the sixteenth century. and his disciples: Jaime Colson, José Ramírez Conde,
Virgilio Méndez and Ureña Rib, among others. Also
Here is the testimony of Alejandro and Manuel A. on the subjects of drawing and sculpture, and about
Grullón: «Attached to the service philosophy and the origins teachers as Guillo Pérez, Yoryi Morel, Mario Grullón,
of Banco Popular Dominicano, which date back to 1963, has Plutarco Andújar, Ramón Oviedo and with abundant
always been the strong commitment to contributing to the devel- and select works in the banks’ treasures.
opment, diversification and dissemination of the arts, as well as
support for the Dominican talent initiatives in its many mani- The many ways of looking at the collection offer oth-
festations. The present work is a powerful symbol of the trust er issues: the set of foreign authors who join Dominican
by the bank in our artists, whether consecrated or young people, art history, including Manolo Pascual, George Hausdorf,
across a fertile path of financial success and invaluable services Augustín Masiá and Vela Zanetti; the look at the Cibao
to the community. Art is, said Constantine Cavafy, what artists painters defining the code to Santiago schools, the topic

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at the Banco popular dominicano visual arts collection

of the masters of modern art and emerging youth…. Any-
way, as the saying goes: «There is plenty of fabric where to
cut» in the extraordinary collection of the Banco Popu-
lar, amassed during half-century history of sustained pa-
tronage.

In our case, the argumentative gaze of a Dominican
art historian, does not consist of a sequential tracing of
generations in ascending and successive periods, but in
the perspective that allows us to discern those genera-
tions based on the specificities of the works of differ-
ent creators in differentiated contextual periods. With
our selective perspective we aim to demonstrate that
there is a relationship between artists, created works,
history and the treasures of Banco Popular, from the
precursory representation of a 1900s icon, «The Moor»
by Arturo Grullón, synchronizing later on the decade
of 1920, where the youthful self-portrait of Morel Yoryi
heralds a modern painter with distinct works during his
productions from 1930 to 1979, the date of his death.
We don’t visualize this master’s paintings in a single
or unique gaze with generational inscription in the
third decade of the twentieth century, but in relation
to works by other artists who, like him, expand the top-
ics or reorient the discursive styles, as in the cases of
Celeste Woss y Gil, Hernández Ortega, Guillo Pérez,
Ada Balcácer…

This way we find generational interrelationships and
pronounced dissent between established teachers and
emerging artists, and from the emblematic works of each
other. With this visual dialogue, we try to demonstrate
the dialectic plurality as well as the unity, recognizing the
overall flavour of Dominican art that recreates the land-
scape and the native population, forest and flora, racial
distinctions, still life and many signs of our antillanía or
Caribbeaness. Dominican Republic ‘s art is a creation
tree with many branches, blooms, seeds, sprouts and a
wide shadow that does not block the tropical light, nor
suppresses the hurricane winds, neither the ineffable
time of our national life.

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From a pioneer course… which, easy and precise brush-stroke prevails. In «The
Five decades of art Moore such commands flow, defining physiognomy,
gesture and a mannish body pose, a very tanned face
A 1900’S MASTERPIECE: and a beduins costume crowned with a turban. The
«THE MOOR» chiaroscuro surrounding the figure, give strength to
BY ARTURO Grullón JULIA the composition’s main plane, where the ability in us-
ing the pastel spectrum on its own way, remind us of
Arturo Grullón Julia was born in 1869, in Santiago Eduard Degas, the exceptional Impressionism’s master.
de los Caballeros, a village from Cibao where he spends Arturo Grullón grew as a painter during the French Belle
his first years of family preparation and schooling. At a Epoque period.
youthful age he moved to Santo Domingo, pursuing a
higher preparation. José María de Hostos was his teacher FIVE REPRESENTATIVE PAINTINGS
at the first Teacher Training School in the country. He FROM 1923-1939 
also took Drawing and Painting classes under the guid-
ance of José Fernandez Corredor, a Spaniard painter and With the exequátur received in 1903, Arturo Grullón
creator of one of the first Academies opened in Santo started practicing a s a doctor in Santiago city, marking
Domingo. Graduated in 1884 as part of the first group of the start of the Dominican surgery, working with patients
Teaching trainees; he received the following year, 1885, with organic deformations, to whom he used to take pic-
an award on an art exhibition. This very fact placed him tures  before and after treatment. Filomena Amalia Grul-
as part of the national art precursor generation. In light lón Rodríguez Objío, his wife since 1909, assisted him
of his strong inclination for painting; he was sent to with the corrective scalpel. When Arturo Grullón gradu-
France at age 17, to study at a well-known institute in ated from Gynaecology in 1925, still grumbled about the
Paris. His leading professor was the painter F. Domingo. lack of time to focus on painting.  
From this fact might derives the conclusion that, the
anatomy studies included on his artistic studies, ushered At that point on time, the members of the Postumist
him to a medical vocation, his raison d’être side by side literary movement, declared their opposition to the Eu-
with the pictorial one.  ropean art in general, advocating for a local art   based
on insular features as the light sparks. Juan Bautista and
Arturo Grullón started Medicine studies at age Celeste Woss y Gil; two educated artists, take on the edu-
25, attending different university institutions in Alger cational work in Santo Domingo and Santiago, where
and Paris from 1894 to 1902 but never abandoned his Jorge Octavio Morel (aka  Yoryi) was a novel revelation
artistic production. Proof of that is his painting «The on the artistic field. The three were pre-dated by Abe-
Moor» awarded first prize on a Parisian exhibition in lardo Pineyro García, who was born on the contradictory
year 1900. period of the Spanish annexation.

«The Moor» is considered a masterpiece due to its Yoryi Morel’s paintings including various self-por-
technical realization, its thematic exoticism and its pre- traits; a Juan Bautista Gómez landscape entitled «Casas
ponderance compared with relevant historical pieces de la Calle Sánchez,» and Celeste Woss y Gil’s «Retrato
from other Dominican authors, as well as among the de Mujer,» conform the 1923-1939 period  representative
Banco Popular art treasures. It is a categorized portrait group of painters and pieces. Included as well, «Bode-
of an executed arabic man, during the painter’s Algerian gón» by Abelardo Piñeyro, created most probably some-
period around 1897, date of a «Algerian landscape» in time on  the 1930 decade.

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