Havana Corona
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
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)
Caption
Robert Colescott (American, 1925–2009). Havana Corona, 1970. Acrylic on canvas, 78 1/2 × 59 in. (199.4 × 149.9 cm) frame: 79 × 59 3/4 × 2 1/2 in. (200.7 × 151.8 × 6.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Brooke and Carolyn Alexander, 1991.270. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
Havana Corona
Date
1970
Medium
Acrylic on canvas
Classification
Dimensions
78 1/2 × 59 in. (199.4 × 149.9 cm) frame: 79 × 59 3/4 × 2 1/2 in. (200.7 × 151.8 × 6.4 cm)
Signatures
Signed upper left: "R Colescott"
Credit Line
Gift of Brooke and Carolyn Alexander
Accession Number
1991.270
Frequent Art Questions
May I please have more information on this painting?
Sure! The artist Robert Colescott was thinking about the triumph of the Cuban people over the imperialism and dominance of the United States. "Corona" is a pun: it means "crown" (like the victory wreath of pink flowers) but it is also a famous cigar from Havana that was prized by Anglo-Americans. (Do you see the hand holding a cigar, at the left?) Colescott himself was African-American and his art often took a satirical look at racial identity and social issues.
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