Mariano : Variations on Theme

A vibrant celebration of one of Cuba’s most visionary modernists. Step into the bold, colorful world of Mariano Rodríguez (1912–1990) — the legendary artist simply known as Mariano. This bilingual catalog accompanies the McMullen Museum’s major retrospective, tracing six decades of creativity, transformation, and Cuban identity through the eyes of a painter who redefined what “lo cubano” could mean.

From his fiery and iconic “gallo” (rooster) paintings to his experiments with abstraction and his later, deeply human compositions, Mariano: Variations on a Theme captures the full evolution of a restless, brilliant artist in constant dialogue with his homeland and the world. Through richly illustrated pages and insightful essays, the book explores Mariano’s journey — from his early years influenced by Manuel Rodríguez Lozano and the Mexican School, to his collaborations with Cuban intellectuals of the 1940s that helped shape the island’s cultural identity. The essays dive into his daring shift from figuration to abstraction in the 1950s, his return to expressive figuration in the 1960s, and his final decades — where the individual and the collective intertwined in compositions both personal and political.

This volume illuminates the artist’s unique fusion of Cuban symbolism, modernist innovation, and emotional depth, offering readers and art lovers a fresh, interdisciplinary look at a true pioneer of Latin American art. Dynamic, intellectual, and deeply Cuban — “Mariano: Variations on a Theme” is a must-have for collectors, scholars, and anyone drawn to the rhythm and passion of modern art.

Details

• Flexcover
• 190 pages
• 1. 1 x 0.83 x 9.06 inches