10/20/2025
Last week, Cernuda Arte hosted two excellent lectures by Dr. Alejandro Anreus, author of the new book, Modern Art in 1940s Cuba: Havana’s Artists, Critics, and Exhibitions. These talks explored the social, cultural, and creative forces shaping the avant-garde movement in Cuba during the 1940s and 50s, offering insight into one of the high watermarks for Modern art in the Americas.
Dr. Anreus, a historian, curator, and educator, is a leading expert on this subject. In his presentations, he expanded on the key themes of his book, which takes the first comprehensive look at the Cuban Vanguardia and the creative, political, and social forces behind the masterpieces of the era. Going beyond the formal analysis of art, his work examines the broader context of Cuban society during these years. The talks, like the book itself, were enriched by images of artworks, rare archival material, interviews with influential figures, and a history of the venues and exhibitions that facilitated the flourishing of Modern art on the island and internationally.
As a writer and curator, Dr. Anreus’ achievements are substantial. His extensive bibliography as a writer and editor include notable works like A Companion to Modern and Contemporary Latin American and Latino Art, Mexican Muralism: A Critical History, Orozco in Gringoland and The Social and the Real: Political Art of the 1930s in the Western Hemisphere. He has also curated exhibitions at major institutions such as the Jersey City Museum, Montclair Art Museum and El Museo del Barrio, and lectured at renowned venues like Harvard University, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and Cernuda Arte.
Copies of Modern Art in 1940s Cuba: Havana’s Artists, Critics, and Exhibitions are available at Books & Books Amazon, and at fine booksellers everywhere.
We hope you enjoy the images from this event.
