Raúl Milian was born in Havana, Cuba in 1914. He can of age during a time when the Cuban government was extremely supportive of modern art. This governmental support fostered many national exhibitions and allowed for travel to other countries, providing artists with the opportunity to freely exchange with their European, South American and Mexican counterparts. Raúl Milian was a self-taught artist. He began painting in 1952 when he was in his late 30s. As a younger man, Milian traveled throughout Europe and was no doubt influenced by the Cubists and Spanish Futurists.
Art Cellar Exchange is offering this pair of early drawings by the artist, completed in 1958. Milian never used oil paint in his art and instead explored the qualities of water-based inks in his artworks. The pair of drawings being offered for sale are quintessential examples of the gritty imagery that Milian is known for. Milian sought to convey the internal struggle of a sensible man in the midst of extreme violence. The repetition of line in this pair of drawings certainly conveys a feeling of madness.
Works by Raúl Milan have appeared in both the Venice Biennial and the Sao Paulo Biennial; and are included in museum collections throughout the Americas including: New York's MoMA, Museum of Fine Arts - Houston, Museo de Bellas Artes - Buenos Aires and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes - Havana. The artist died in 1986.