Cundo Bermúdez (1914-2008)

Acquired from the artist
Eduardo and Dori González, New York
Thence by descent

Miami, Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Cundo Bermúdez. A Life in Art, April 23-June 1, 2003, p. 43, illustrated in color

Cuban-American Endowment for the Arts, Vicente Báez, Mario Amiguet, et. al., Cundo Bermúdez, Miami, 2000, no. 43.5, p. 72, illustrated in color

This work is in lovely and original condition. The painting may have been varnished since it was painted, but it is certainly attractively presented. The work may be on its original stretcher, and there are no reinforcements on the reverse or on the sides of the canvas. The paint layer is stable and clean. No retouches are visible under ultraviolet light or to the naked eye. (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.)
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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Another artist collected in depth by Eduardo and Dori González (see lot 27) was Cundo Bermúdez, one of the youngest members of the Cuban Vanguardia movement.  The present work, Tres Músicos (Three Musicians), 1943, is saturated with jewel like tropical color, resembling the contrast of reds, blues, yellows and greens present in medieval stained glass windows. These strong colors were seen in Cuba in the colored glass demi-lunes set above the doors, so often featured in the work of Cundo's contemporary, painter Amelia Peláez.  

In the early 1940s the Cuban Vanguardia movement caught the attention of Alfred Barr Jr., then the curator at New York's Museum of Modern Art. Inspired by what he saw, Barr, together with Cuban art historian José Gómez-Sicre organized the exhibition Modern Cuban Painters at the Museum of Modern Art including the most dynamic members of the Vanguardia. This groundbreaking 1944 exhibition brought the energy and passion of Caribbean light to the New York audience.

Speaking about Cundo’s contribution to Cuban art in 1999, art historian Edward Sullivan has said:

“One of the painters who has contributed most brilliantly to  the historical panorama of modern Cuban painting is Cundo Bermúdez [….] Most of the scholars who have written about the art of Bermúdez have concentrated on his cubanidad or Cuba-ness. Indeed among the most apparent aspects of his diverse oeuvre are the forms and colors of Cuban architecture, its decorative elements and the vivid suggestions of indigenous floral forms. In addition, in many of the works of Bermúdez there are strong suggestions of the powerful musical heritage of the nation, based to a great degree on Afro-Cuban rhythms”.

Bermúdez was fascinated by music, musicians, dance and the theatre. These became major subjects in his work, a theme so central then, as it is now, to Cuba's culture. Cundo moved from Cuba to Puerto Rico, spending the end of his life in Miami as a living legend.