The scarce indigenous population of the island left its prints in some pictographs on caves, on objects created to give solution to some problems of subsistence, in the creative conception of the houses in the country, called Bohío. Conquerors granted primordial attention to the construction of the first villages. They built fortresses to protect the territories from the threat of frequent pirate attacks, which didn't prevent Havana from the English conquering on XVIII century.
The painting appearance was tardy, fueled by the necessities of the church and a bunch a rich people choosing more and more elegant residencies. A popular stream was flooding streets and commercial centers.
 The expansion of an economy based on the production of sugar attracted foreign
visitors interested in offering testimony of the environment and costumes of the island. In this way, diverse valuable collections of printings were conformed to spread a picturesque vision of the island.
The San Alejandro Academy was founded then, around the beginnings of the XIX century.
Conceived for the drawing training towards the technical development, the school soon focused on the formation of painters and sculptors, according to the lineaments of the European academicism, so, on the edge of the transformations produced along the entire XIX century in the old continent. The reformist streams were stronger in literature. However, the topic approached in painting was enhancing its wings. Portray, landscapes, costumes and the historical affairs received a prior attention. The painter abandoned the artisan's servitude to become an artist.
The last third was coming, when José Martí –also pioneer in this field- was proving that art has a higher sense than a mere decorative function or a simple reproduction of reality. He states that along his entire work, from his notes on Goya to his brief analysis about the impressionistic movement. But the important turn of plastic arts would have to wait until the second decade of the recently-concluded century. The change of the artistic languages was involved then in a transforming process undertaking culture as a whole. In the neocolonial context there was the intention of re-designing, from the modern perspective, the nation's body.
For this purpose it was necessary to find new referring details, go to the deepest zones of the country and enhance the links with the external contemporary world.
 Creation was oriented towards literature and music. Something similar was happening in the research of history and social sciences fields. What is known as avant-garde was conformed in this way.
Unsatisfied with the education in the Academy, reduced each time to an insufficient recipe to fulfill the new demands, painters turned their heads to Europe. They crossed over Spain but their last destiny was Paris, were the most radical changes were happening.
Far from formal lines, the real learning was produced in the middle on an intense debate among the counterparts. Each one took from that experience what they considered useful for the production of a work that would be growing in the return most of the times, beginning from the 30s. No school was founded, except the brief attempt –frustrated due to the lack of resources- to open a free painting and sculpture studio for all those –young and old- interested in art. With their work they strengthen a rupture and set the pace for conceptual premises, available for successive generations, far beyond the artistic streams that could appear, seasoned for other times and other circumstances.
Penned by Dr. Graziella Pogolotti. Professor and art critic.
Taken from the CNAP site.
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