Collections: Contemporary Art: Havana Corona

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This image is presented as a "thumbnail" because it is protected by copyright. The Brooklyn Museum respects the rights of artists who retain the copyright to their work.

Havana Corona

In the late sixties I was thinking about the triumph of the Cuban people over imperialism and U.S. dominance—the effort is here "crowned" (Corona). But Corona is also a famous cigar from Havana that is desired (and now missed) by affluent Yankees—so struggle, victory, and contradictions are part of the idea. I was working my way out of a more lyrical and abstract view of figuration at the time toward a more socially-politically oriented idiom, hoping to find a way to maintain a formally strong image. . . . This painting is in transition. . . . The form is evolving toward artistic and social relevancy. The painting has particular interest to me since it straddles these objectives and balances precariously, one foot in each world.

-Robert Colescott (1992)
• Artist: Robert Colescott, American, born 1925
• Medium: Acrylic on canvas
• Dates: 1970
• Dimensions: 78 1/2 x 59 in. (199.4 x 149.9 cm)
• Signature: unsigned
• Collections: Contemporary Art
• Museum Location: This item is on view in American Identities: A New Look, Modern Life, 5th Floor
• Accession Number: 1991.270
• Credit Line: Gift of Brooke and Carolyn Alexander
• Image: Overall, 1991.270_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
Robert Colescott (American, born 1925). Havana Corona, 1970. Acrylic on canvas, 78 1/2 x 59 in. (199.4 x 149.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Brooke and Carolyn Alexander, 1991.270 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1991.270_SL1.jpg)