Víctor Manuel García Valdés, known simply as Víctor Manuel, has been one of the most important figures in the history of Cuban visual arts, still a contemporary inspiration. He managed to transcend the barriers of academicism to delve into the essence of characters, nature, and phenomena, which have been captured—transmuted—with singular mastery in his works.

From a very young age, he became interested in the visual arts and presented his works in prestigious intellectual and academic circles. He was a disciple of Romañach and was associated with the Avance Magazine, along with other artists who exhibited their works related to this cultural project, which went beyond the literary in its desire to bring to Cuba and cultivate from Cuba the universal in creative matters. He also frequently presented his works at the Association of Painters and Sculptors and the Lyceum Society of Havana.

He had the opportunity to explore important art centers in Europe, particularly in France, Belgium, and Spain, where he also came into contact with artists and movements that would significantly influence his later work. He would become one of the most prominent representatives of the Cuban avant-garde, especially because he managed to connect the national and the foreign without prejudices that would hinder his creative potential, and with high levels of artistic achievement.

Her series of tropical gypsies, especially the painting titled Tropical Gypsy (1916), widely known to the Cuban public, perfectly expresses these values ​​of identity not only in Cuba but also in Latin America and the Caribbean, by extolling the feminine beauty of the region, which did not exactly conform to European standards. Among her most notable pieces are Landscape, Gray Landscape, and Inner Life.

Like most of our most distinguished artists of the 20th century, he was a student—and later a professor—at the San Alejandro Academy, where he left an indelible mark with the virtuosity of his brushwork. He won awards at the Ministry of Education Salons in 1935 and 1938, as well as other well-deserved recognitions both at home and abroad, where he also constitutes a symbol of the island’s pictorial universe.