Darío Suro
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Darío Antonio Suro García-Godoy (June 13, 1917, La Vega – January 18, 1997,
Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...
) was a Dominican painter,
art critic An art critic is a person who is specialized in analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating art. Their written critiques or reviews contribute to art criticism and they are published in newspapers, magazines, books, exhibition brochures, and catalogue ...
, and
diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...
from La Vega, Dominican Republic, remembered as one of the most influential Dominican artists from the 20th century. Suro's paintings encompassed a wide range of styles from the
impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
mood of his early paintings, to the neo-realism of his maturity, and finally to the
abstraction Abstraction is a process where general rules and concepts are derived from the use and classifying of specific examples, literal (reality, real or Abstract and concrete, concrete) signifiers, first principles, or other methods. "An abstraction" ...
of his later works.Estevez, Lisandra. "Suro, Darío (1918–1997)." The Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism. : Taylor and Francis, 2016. Date Accessed 24 Mar. 2022 https://www.rem.routledge.com/articles/suro-dario-1918-1997 . Together with his contemporaries
Yoryi Morel Jorge Octavio Morel Tavárez (known as Yoryi Morel) was a Dominican Republic, Dominican painter, musician, and teacher born in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic; he is remembered as the leading Costumbrismo, costumbrista painter in t ...
, Jaime Colson, and
Celeste Woss y Gil Celeste Agustina Woss y Gil (5 May 1891 – 1985) was a Dominican painter, educator, and feminist activist, remembered as one of the most influential Dominican artists from the 20th century. Born in Santo Domingo and daughter to former president ...
, he is known as one of the progenitors of
modernist Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...
art in the Dominican Republic. In his country he studied first under his uncle, the painter Enrique García-Godoy. He worked as a diplomat throughout his career with his first appointment in 1943 as the cultural attaché of Dominican Republic to
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
; during his stay in Mexico, Suro studied with
Diego Rivera Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957) was a Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the Mexican muralism, mural movement in Mexican art, Mexican and international art. Between 1922 and 1953, Rivera painted mural ...
, Jesus Guerrero Galván, and
Agustín Lazo Agustín is a Spanish given name and sometimes a surname. It is related to Augustín. People with the name include: Given name * Agustín Adorni (born 1990), Argentine footballer * Agustín Allione (born 1994), Argentine footballer * Ag ...
. Upon his return to the Dominican Republic, Suro had an important solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Fine Arts. Suro resided in
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
during the early 1950s where he became fascinated with the art of
El Greco Doménikos Theotokópoulos (, ; 1 October 1541 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco (; "The Greek"), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance, regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time. ...
,
Diego Velázquez Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptised 6 June 15996 August 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the Noble court, court of King Philip IV of Spain, Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He i ...
, and
Francisco Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish Romanticism, romantic painter and Printmaking, printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hi ...
. In the late 1950s, Suro left his home country for
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, where he lived for many years. Four years after the Dictator
Rafael Trujillo Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina ( ; ; 24 October 1891 – 30 May 1961), nicknamed ''El Jefe'' (; "the boss"), was a Dominican military officer and dictator who ruled the Dominican Republic from August 1930 until Rafael Trujillo#Assassination, ...
's assassination, Suro returned to Dominican Republic in 1965, resuming his career as a diplomat serving in various embassies, culminating in a post in
Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
In addition to a career as a prolific painter, Suro wrote extensively on art and frequently contributed to Dominican and international art magazines. In 1969, Suro also produced a survey of modern Dominican painting consisting of brief monographs of the country's major artists. Throughout his long career, Suro was recognized with many honors, being the first artist to receive the 'Premio Nacional de Artes Plasticas' awarded by President Joaquin Balaguer in 1993.


Early life

Suro was born in La Vega to a family of intellectuals and artists; his grandfather was writer Federico García Godoy (1859-1924), and his uncle was the painter Enrique Garcia Godoy, the founder of an arts school in La Vega. His parents were Jaime Vicente Suro Sánchez, who was a government worker, and Isabel Emilia García-Godoy Ceara; they had two children, Darío and Ruben, named after the famous
Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
n poet
Rubén Darío Félix Rubén García Sarmiento (18 January 1867 – 6 February 1916), known as Rubén Darío ( , ), was a Nicaraguan poet who initiated the Spanish-language literary movement known as '' modernismo'' (modernism) that flourished at the end of ...
, whom Jaime Suro greatly admired. From a very early age, Suro knew he wanted to dedicate his life to art, against his parents wishes; his first painting teacher was his uncle, when he enrolled into his school in 1935. Suro's early paintings were of the tropical landscapes of his hometown, largely painted with soft tones. He became popular early on as an
Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
landscape artist Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is the depiction in painting of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, rivers, trees, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view—with its elements arranged into a cohe ...
, often painting horses and rainy scenes of the
Cibao The Cibao, usually referred as El Cibao, is a region of the Dominican Republic located in the northern part of the country. As of 2009, the Cibao region has a population of 5,622,378, making it the most populous region in the country. The region ...
region of his country. Suro had his first solo exhibition in 1938 at the Ateneo Dominicano in Santo Domingo. Subsequently, he was included in group exhibitions in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, at the Riverside Museum and the Dominican Republic Pavilion at the
1939 New York World's Fair The 1939 New York World's Fair (also known as the 1939–1940 New York World's Fair) was an world's fair, international exposition at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, New York, United States. The fair included exhibitio ...
. In 1940, Suro participated in the Inter-American Exhibition of the Caribbean organized by the
Organization of American States The Organization of American States (OAS or OEA; ; ; ) is an international organization founded on 30 April 1948 to promote cooperation among its member states within the Americas. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, the OAS is ...
. In that same year, he participated in a group show at the Ateneo Dominicano in Santo Domingo. In 1942, he had a solo exhibition at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in Santo Domingo. In 1943, he married Maruxa Franco Fernandez, a school teacher from
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...
.


Professional career


Mexico 1943-1947

Shortly after marrying, Suro and his wife departed to
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
where the young artist was appointed
cultural attaché Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, attitudes, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...
in the Dominican Republic Embassy. During this time, the Mexican capital was considered the center of art in Latin America, and Suro began studying at
Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado "La Esmeralda" La Esmeralda or Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado (ENPEG) (English: National School of Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking) is a Mexican art school founded in 1927 and located in Mexico City. History The history of the ENPEG s ...
, where he studied art for nearly four years with some of the most prestigious artists in Mexico, including
Diego Rivera Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957) was a Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the Mexican muralism, mural movement in Mexican art, Mexican and international art. Between 1922 and 1953, Rivera painted mural ...
,
Agustín Lazo Agustín is a Spanish given name and sometimes a surname. It is related to Augustín. People with the name include: Given name * Agustín Adorni (born 1990), Argentine footballer * Agustín Allione (born 1994), Argentine footballer * Ag ...
,
Jesús Guerrero Galván Jesús Guerrero Galván (June 1, 1910 – May 11. 1973) was a Mexican artist, a member of the Mexican muralism movement of the early 20th century. He began his career in Guadalajara but moved to Mexico City to work on mural projects in the 1930s ...
and
Manuel Rodríguez Lozano Manuel Rodríguez Lozano (December 4, 1896 – March 27, 1971) was a Mexican painter, known for his “melancholy” depiction of Mexico rather than the more dominant political or festive one of the Mexican muralism movement. This is especially ...
, as well as befriending other artists like
José Clemente Orozco José Clemente Orozco (November 23, 1883 – September 7, 1949) was a Mexican caricaturist and painter, who specialized in political murals that established the Mexican Mural Renaissance together with murals by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siquei ...
,
Frida Kahlo Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (; 6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by Culture of Mexico, the country' ...
, Lupe Marin and
José Vasconcelos José Vasconcelos Calderón (28 February 1882 – 30 June 1959), called the "cultural " of the Mexican Revolution, was an important Mexicans, Mexican writer, philosopher, and politician. He is one of the most influential and controversial pers ...
, who would play a crucial role in Suro's career. In 1944, he received word that he had won the second prize (silver medal) at the Second National Fine Arts Biennial in Santo Domingo. Two years later he won first prize (gold medal) at the Third National Fine Arts Biennial. Suro's style changed dramatically during the four years he lived in Mexico; influenced by the nationalistic spirit of the Mexican social-realists that embraced indigeneity, Suro sought to create a Dominican perspective that changed the Indian for the Black.^ Ibid, pg 289 The
Parsley massacre The Parsley massacre (Spanish: ''el corte'' "the cutting"; Creole: ''kout kouto-a'' "the stabbing") (; ; ) was a mass killing of Haitians living in illegal settlements and occupied land in the Dominican Republic's northwestern frontier and in cert ...
of 1937 was also fresh in the mind of the artist, who painted several works depicting terrifying scenes of mutilated children and headless corpses. In 1946, he was included in a group show at the
Palacio de Bellas Artes The Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) is a prominent cultural center in Mexico City. It hosts performing arts events, literature events and plastic arts galleries and exhibitions (including important permanent Mexican murals). "Bella ...
in Mexico City. The following year, he had a solo exhibition at the institution, an event that was widely publicized in the city, bringing him recognition from some of the most important art critics but perhaps leading to his downfall with his own government. His embassy job was suddenly terminated. Suro was told by unofficial sources that the
dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute Power (social and political), power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a polity. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to r ...
Rafael Trujillo Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina ( ; ; 24 October 1891 – 30 May 1961), nicknamed ''El Jefe'' (; "the boss"), was a Dominican military officer and dictator who ruled the Dominican Republic from August 1930 until Rafael Trujillo#Assassination, ...
was not happy with the attention he had received in Mexico.^ Ibid, pg 297 Shortly after Suro returned to his home country, Vasconcelos arrived in Santo Domingo on an official visit and raved to Trujillo about the recently repatriated diplomat and painter, calling him "brilliant", and strongly urged the Dominican leader to name Suro Director of Fine Arts. This happened in early 1947 and once again Suro was celebrated. That same year, he had a successful solo exhibition at the National Palace of Fine Arts in Santo Domingo, showing works that were shown in Mexico with a few recent Dominican additions. As Director of Fine Arts, received distinguished guests, including
Alicia Markova Dame Alicia Markova Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, DBE (1 December 1910 – 2 December 2004) was a British ballerina and a Choreography (dance), choreographer, director and teacher of classical ballet. Most noted for her ...
and
Anton Dolin Anton Dolin may refer to: * Anton Dolin (ballet dancer) (1904–1983), English ballet dancer and choreographer * Anton Dolin (film critic) Anton Vladimirovich Dolin (; ) is a Russian film critic, journalist, radio host, blogger and podcaster. ...
and groups like the celebrated "Coros y Danzas" from Spain. He was responsible for overseeing new exhibitions at the Palacio de Bellas Artes and setting up cultural programs. He also gave lectures covering a wide range of themes, like the one on his friend José Clemente Orozco, "La Muerte de Orozco", which he gave at the Instituto Dominico Americano in Santo Domingo. In 1948, he participated in the 4th National Biennial of Fine Arts.


Spain 1950-1953

In 1950, Suro was sent to Spain as cultural attaché of the Dominican Republic. Arriving with his family in
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, Suro befriended some of the most prominent Spanish artists of the time, including
Antonio Saura Antonio Saura Atarés (September 22, 1930 – July 22, 1998) was a Spanish artist and writer, one of the major post-war painters to emerge in Spain in the fifties whose work has marked several generations of artists and whose critical voice is ...
,
Antoni Tàpies Antoni Tàpies i Puig, 1st Marquess of Tápies, Marquess of Tàpies (; 13 December 1923 – 6 February 2012) was a Catalans, Catalan painter, sculptor, and art theorist. Life The son of Josep Tàpies i Mestre and Maria Puig i Guerra, Antoni T ...
, Manolo Millares, and
Jose Caballero Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods *Jose ben Abin *Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean *Jose ben Halafta *J ...
("Pepe"). Suro was also able to see great art, including works by his personal favorites
Velázquez Velázquez, also Velazquez, Velásquez or Velasquez (, ), is a surname from Spain. It is a patronymic name, meaning "son of Velasco". References to "Velazquez" without a first name are often to the Spanish painter, Diego Velázquez. Notable peo ...
,
El Greco Doménikos Theotokópoulos (, ; 1 October 1541 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco (; "The Greek"), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance, regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time. ...
and
Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, an ...
. Living in Spain also facilitated extensive travel to other European cities, including Paris, London and Amsterdam. He especially loved Italy, and was particularly impressed by the works of
Piero della Francesca Piero della Francesca ( , ; ; ; – 12 October 1492) was an Italian Renaissance painter, Italian painter, mathematician and List of geometers, geometer of the Early Renaissance, nowadays chiefly appreciated for his art. His painting is charact ...
. Combining diplomacy and art as he had in Mexico, Suro participated in group exhibitions in Madrid and Barcelona, as well as faraway places like San Francisco (
Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
) and Pittsburgh ( Carnegie Institute). He was invited to participate in the Salón de los Once in 1951, along with ten other artists, a venue organized by the philosopher Eugenio d'Ors. The same year, he participated in the First Hispano-American Biennial, which was exhibited in Madrid and Barcelona. He represented the Dominican Republic in several important congresses (including the Congreso de la Cooperacion Intellectual Latino Americano—1952) while continuing his travels throughout the
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
and several other European nations. In terms of his artistic development, Spain had a significant impact. This is where Suro painted his first abstract canvases, influenced by European trends.Barberan, Cecilio (1951). "Arte de Hoy en Madrid – Suro en el Salon de los 11". ''Informaciones''. Madrid. As in Mexico, his busy professional life came to an abrupt end. His job was suddenly terminated, without any explanation. The Suros heard gossip about the termination of his job and a close friend, who happened to be related to Trujillo's wife, recommended that they leave the country.


United States 1953-1996

With limited English, the artist moved to New York City with his family in 1953. His wife immediately found work as a seamstress in a factory, however Suro had a harder time. Visiting several establishments that hired artists to do fairly routine work, he soon realized that there was little demand. He finally found a job in a factory where artists painted
porcelain Porcelain (), also called china, is a ceramic material made by heating Industrial mineral, raw materials, generally including kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The greater strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to oth ...
, screens and other objects. They were given models to work from, with a limited freedom of artistic expression. Nevertheless, Suro explored the New York City art scene. He started contacting dealers and gallery owners, including
Rose Fried A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be e ...
,
Betty Parsons Betty Parsons (born Betty Bierne Pierson, January 31, 1900 – July 23, 1982) was an American artist, art dealer, and collector known for her early promotion of Abstract Expressionism. She is regarded as one of the most influential and dynamic f ...
, and
Leo Castelli Leo Castelli ( Krausz; September 4, 1907 – August 21, 1999) was an Italian-American art dealer who originated the contemporary art gallery system. His gallery showcased contemporary art for five decades. Among the movements which Castelli s ...
. As an art critic, Suro wrote the first in-depth critical articles on both
Piet Mondrian Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan (; 7 March 1872 – 1 February 1944), known after 1911 as Piet Mondrian (, , ), was a Dutch Painting, painter and Theory of art, art theoretician who is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. He w ...
and Stuart Davis in the Spanish language. He reintroduced the work of
Joaquín Torres García Joaquín or Joaquin is a male given name, the Spanish version of Joachim. Given name * Joaquín (footballer, born 1956) (Joaquín Alonso González), Spanish football midfielder * Joaquín (footballer, born 1981) (Joaquín Sánchez Rodríguez) ...
to the artists within the Rose Fried Gallery circle, where he was asked to write the text of an accompanying monograph for Torres Garcia's 1960 breakthrough exhibition. He wrote for many international publications, including the Paris-based ''
Aujourd'hui ''Aujourd'hui'' (, ''Today'') was a daily newspaper in Vichy France published between 1940 and 1944 in Paris. It was founded by journalist Henri Jeanson, who edited the publication during the autumn of 1940. After Jeanson was arrested and forced ...
'' and the Madrid-based ''
Cuadernos Hispanoamericanos ''Cuadernos'' () was a Spanish-language magazine that was published in Paris, France, in the period 1953–1965. Its full title was ''Cuadernos del Congreso por la Libertad de la Cultura''. It was one of the publications of the Congress for Cultu ...
'', and he was a frequent contributor at ''
El Caribe El Caribe (''The Caribbean'') was a biweekly newspaper published from Roatán, Honduras. It was edited by Tomás B. McField. Rafael Barahona Mejía was the director of ''El Caribe''.Zavala, Silvio Arturo. Revista de Historia de América', Vol. 48 ...
'' and other newspapers in the Dominican Republic. Through his job, he met Herman Somberg, who happened to be a close friend of
Franz Kline Franz Kline (May 23, 1910 – May 13, 1962) was an American painter. He is associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement of the 1940s and 1950s. Kline, along with other action painters like Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Robert Mo ...
. After a certain reluctance, the latter finally agreed to meet Suro and the two became fast friends (later Suro reminisced about the encounter and ensuing friendship in an article written for ''Americas Magazine'' "Franz Kline Freedom and Space" in 1969). He frequented the
Cedar Tavern The Cedar Tavern (or Cedar Street Tavern) was a bar and restaurant at the eastern edge of Greenwich Village, New York City. In its heyday, known as a gathering place for avant garde writers and artists, it was located at 24 University Place (Manh ...
in Manhattan, which he later called "one of the great universities of my life" and the place where he drank seriously along with his growing number of acquaintances. Another special friend was
Philip Guston Philip Guston (born Phillip Goldstein, June 27, 1913 – June 7, 1980) was a Canadian American painter, printmaker, muralist and draftsman. "Guston worked in a number of artistic modes, from Renaissance-inspired figuration to formally accomplis ...
, who was fluent in Spanish. Many of the friends that he met were part of the Neo-Plasticist world. As in Mexico and Spain, Suro changed his style once again, expressing himself through geometric abstract images and eventually going on to paint works that were decidedly informal and expressionistic. He participated in group shows at the Rose Fried Gallery, including the International Collage Exhibition in 1956, and the "International Avant Garde Perspectives" at the Newport Art Association in 1959. He finally had a solo exhibition at the Poindexter Gallery, in Manhattan, in 1962.
After the assassination of Trujillo in 1961, Juan Bosch, Suro's childhood friend, was elected
President of the Dominican Republic The president of the Dominican Republic () is both the head of state and head of government of the Dominican Republic. The presidential system was established in 1844, following the proclamation of the republic during the Dominican War of In ...
in 1962. Bosch named Suro the cultural attaché at the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Washington, D.C., as well as at the Organization of American States (OAS). Suro remained in these posts for most of the rest of his life. Suro continued painting and exhibiting worldwide into his old age. He also continued writing, frequently contributing to ''Americas Magazine'', several Dominican Republic publications, including ''Ahora'' and ''Listin Diario'', as well as international ones, including ''
Cuadernos Hispanoamericanos ''Cuadernos'' () was a Spanish-language magazine that was published in Paris, France, in the period 1953–1965. Its full title was ''Cuadernos del Congreso por la Libertad de la Cultura''. It was one of the publications of the Congress for Cultu ...
'' and '' Acento Cultural''. He was promoted from cultural attaché to Counselor (1965) to Minister Counselor (1967) to
Minister Plenipotentiary An envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, usually known as a minister, was a diplomatic head of mission who was ranked below ambassador. A diplomatic mission headed by an envoy was known as a legation rather than an embassy. Under the ...
,
Deputy Chief of Mission A deputy chief of mission (DCM, in Europe the term deputy head of mission – DHoM or DHM is used instead) is the number-two diplomat assigned to an embassy or other diplomatic mission. The deputy chief of mission is usually considered the second ...
(1970) and finally Adjunct Ambassador, Alternate Representative (1980). In October 1996, he returned to the Dominican Republic with his wife. He was hoping to concentrate on his art, however, he died the following January. His funeral was attended by many friends, as well as Dominican dignitaries; three former Dominican presidents were present
Salvador Jorge Blanco José Salvador Omar Jorge Blanco (5 July 1926 – 26 December 2010) was a Dominican politician, lawyer and writer who served as the 48th president of the Dominican Republic from 1982 to 1986. He was a Senator running for the PRD party. He starte ...
,
Donald Reid Cabral Joseph Donald Reid Cabral (June 9, 1923 – July 22, 2006) was a Dominican politician and lawyer. Reid became president during the "triumvirate" from December 28, 1963 to April 25, 1965. Biography Donald Reid Cabral was born in Santiago de ...
and Juan Bosch. Suro was the first artist to receive "El Premio Nacional de Artes Plasicas" of the Dominican Republic in 1993, which was presented to him by President
Joaquín Balaguer Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo (1 September 1906 – 14 July 2002) was a Dominican politician, scholar, writer, and lawyer who was the 41st, 45th and 49th president of the Dominican Republic serving three non-consecutive terms from 1960 t ...
. The "Orden de Duarte, Sanchez y Mella" medal was presented posthumously to his widow by President
Leonel Fernández Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna () (born 26 December 1953) is a Dominican lawyer, academic, and was the 50th and 52nd President of the Dominican Republic from 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2012. From 2016 until 2020, he was the President of th ...
in 1999.


Personal life

Suro married Maruxa Franco Fernandez in 1943, and together they had 3 children: Jaime, Federico, and Rosa. Suro's first son, Jaime, died suddenly shortly before his second birthday. Dario Suro died on January 18, 1997, at the age of 79.


Gallery

File:Dario Suro 01.jpg File:Numbers, 1958.jpg, Numbers, 1958 (Private Collection)


Writings

* Dario Suro. "Orozco en su sitio". ''Cuadernos Dominicanos de Cultura''. Volume VI, Number 73. page 16. Santo Domingo. September 1949. * Dario Suro. "El Mundo Magico Taíno". ''Cuadernos Hispanoamericanos''. Number 17. page 259. Madrid. September–October 1950. * Dario Suro. "La pintura de Esteban Vicente". ''El Mundo''. San Juan. July 29, 1951. * Dario Suro. "Dos Pintores Americanos: Davis y Glarner". ''El Caribe''. page 11. Santo Domingo. January 9, 1955. * Dario Suro. "L'espace: Mondrian et Picasso". Aujourd'hui - ''Art & Architecture''. Number 20. page 28. Paris. December 1958. * Dario Suro. "Joaquín Torres García" (monograph). Rose Fried Gallery. New York. 1960. * Dario Suro. "De Malevich A Demain". Aujourd'hui - ''Art & Architecture''. Number 29. page 54. Paris. December 1960. * Dario Suro. "The Baroque in Santo Domingo". ''Americas''. Washington, D.C. 1963. * Dario Suro. "Torres Garcia of Uruguay, Universal Constructionist". ''Americas''. Volume 17, Number 3. page 24. Washington, D.C. March 1965. * Dario Suro. "Stuart Davis (1894–1964)". ''America''. Washington, D.C. 1965. * Dario Suro. "Taíno Sculpture Of Artists and Owls". ''Americas''. Volume 18, Number 3. page 21. Washington, D.C. March 1966. * Dario Suro. "Estilo y Condicion". ''El Nacional de Ahora''. page 25. Santo Domingo. October 29, 1967. * Dario Suro. ''Arte Dominicano'' (first comprehensive history of Dominican Art). Santo Domingo; Publicaciones AHORA, C. por A.; 1968. * Dario Suro. "Franz Kline - Freedom and Space". ''Americas'' - Volume 20, Number 6. page 21. Washington, D.C. June 1968. * Dario Suro. "Taíno Sculpture" (part 2). ''Americas''. Volume 20, Number 11–12. Washington, D.C. November–December 1968. * Dario Suro. ''Colson Dominicano Universal''. Publicaciones Ahora. Santo Domingo. 1969. * Dario Suro. "Construccion de un Desorden". ''Ahora''. Number 440. Santo Domingo. April 17, 1973 * Dario Suro. "Thomas Jefferson, the Architect". ''Americas''. Volume 25, Numbers 11–12. page 29. Washington, D.C. November–December 1973.


References


Bibliography

* Staff (undated)
"Dario Soro 1917–1998"
Museo Bellapart The Museo Bellapart is a free private art museum in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic specifically in located at the corner of Av. John F. Kennedy founded in 1999 and is situated inside of a car dealership. It was initially founded by Juan Jos ...
. Retrieved August 23, 2013. *
Museo de Arte Moderno The Museo de Arte Moderno (MAM) is a museum dedicated to modern Mexican art located in Chapultepec Park in Mexico City. The museum is part of the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura and provides exhibitions of national and internat ...
. Santo Domingo. * Berardo Collection Museum. Lisbon. * Latin Art Museum. Fernando Urena Rib (online). " Trascendencia en la obra de Dario Suro". * Almagre, Juan (1946). "Notas de Arte". ''Ultimas Noticias del Excelsior''. Mexico D.F. * Anreus, Alejandro (1993). "Three Latin American Masters".
Montclair Art Museum The Montclair Art Museum (MAM) is located in Montclair in Essex County, New Jersey and holds a collection of over 12,000 objects showcasing American and Native North American art. Through its public programs, art classes, and exhibitions, MAM ...
. Montclair, New Jersey. * Anreus, Alejandro (Fall 1994). "Dario Suro: The Mexican Period"; ''STET''. Volume 2, Number 2. Pages 18–19. New York. * Anreus, Alejandro (Winter 1997). "Dario Suro"; ARS Atelier. New York. * Barberan, Cecilio (1951). "Arte de Hoy en Madrid Suro en el Salon de los 11". ''Informaciones''. Madrid. * Benitez, Benito (October 1946). "Dario Suro". ''Prensa Grafica'' Seccion de Arte y de Letras. Mexico D.F. * Bethel, Leslie (1995). ''The Cambridge History of Latin America''. Volume 10 Latin America Since 1930: Ideas Culture and Society. Page 414.
Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...
. * del Calstillo Pichardo, Jose (2007). "Dominican Cultures The Making of a Caribbean Society". Markus Wiener Publishers. Page 73. (published in Spanish in 1981 by the Fundación Cultural Dominicana) * Cirici Pelicer, A. (March 18, 1952). "Dario Suro". ''Hoy'' Seccion La Forma Viva. Page 21. Barcelona. * Cortes Tamayo, R. (October 21, 1946). "Dario Suro Pintor Dominicano". ''Prensa Grafica'' Seccion de Arte y de Letras. Mexico D.F. * Edmundo Ory, Carlos (March 15, 1952). "Exposiciones de la Semana". ''
Diario de Barcelona The ''Diario de Barcelona'' (Catalan language, catalán: ''Diari de Barcelona'') (The Barcelona Journal) was a newspaper founded in 1792 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. With a few interruptions it was published in paper form until 1994, and in d ...
''. Barcelona. * Edmundo Ory, Carlos (1952). "Nuestro Tiempo Poesia & Pintura". (Suro and Ory collaborative monograph) Madrid. * Ferretti, Figuerola (1951). "Octavo Salon de los Once (Sala Biosca)". ''Arte''. Madrid. * Garcia Cisneros, Florencio (1960). ''40 Latin American Artists In New York''. New York. * Garcia Rogriguez, Jose Maria (June 17, 1948). "D. Suro o Lo Humano En La Angustia Del Hombre". ''La Nación''. Santo Domingo. * Gaton Arce, Freddy (July 18, 1949). "La Medida Oleo de Suro". ''El Caribe''. Page 9. Santo Domingo. * Geron, Candido (2011). ''Dominican Art From Modernism to the Vanguard 1940–2010''. Santo Domingo. * Guest, Barbara (1956). "Notes on Collage", ''Arts''. Volume 30, Number 6. Page 51. New York. * Gil, Laura (December 5, 1987). "En La Galeria Dario Suro". ''El Caribe''. Page 13. Santo Domingo. * Gil, Laura (December 1, 1990). "Rafael Squirru: Dario Suro es uno de los Grandes Maestros de Latino America". ''El Caribe''. Page 13. Santo Domingo. * Herman, Sara (Spring 1999). "Ceremonias y Tiempos. Suro y Su Ritual. Dario y El Presente". ARS Atelier. Page 15. New York. * Izquierdo, María (October 1946). "Anoche se inauguro la exposiccion del pintor Dario Suro". ''El Nacional''. Mexico D.F. * Llado de Cosso, Jose (March 31, 1951). "Un gran pintor dominicano habla de una gran exposicion". ''El Día''. Tegucigalpa. * Lara Pardo, Luis (November 10, 1946). "Cuadros de Dario Suro". ''Revista de Revistas'' Seccion Exposiciones. Page 39. Mexico City. * Miller, Jeannette (October 31, 1981). "Suro: Drama y Movimiento; Una Magnifica Retrospectiva". ''El Caribe''. Page 14. Santo Domingo. * Miller, Jeannette (December 12, 1987). "La Pintura Bestial de Dario Suro". ''Hoy'' (Seccion Temas Especial Para Hoy en la Galeria). Santo Domingo. * Mitila Lora, Ana (November 12, 1999). "Los Mexicanos Con Sus Indios, Los Dominicanos Con Sus Negros" (interview with Maruxa Franco viuda Suro). '' Listin Diario''. Seccion La Republica Memorias del Pasado. Page 12 A. Santo Domingo. * Ortiz, Benjamin; Valdes Jr., Gustavo (1996). "Art in Transit A Dominican Experience". (catalogue for the exhibit at INTAR Latin American Gallery). New York. * Poupeye, Veerle (1998). ''Caribbean Art''. London:
Thames and Hudson Thames & Hudson (sometimes T&H for brevity) is a publisher of illustrated books in all visually creative categories: art, architecture, design, photography, fashion, film, and the performing arts. It also publishes books on archaeology, history, ...
. * Ramon Jarne, Ricardo (2001). (
catalogue raisonné A (or critical catalogue) is an annotated listing of the works of an artist or group of artists and can contain all works or a selection of works categorised by different parameters such as medium or period. A ''catalogue raisonné'' is normal ...
with essays by Maria Ugarte, Laura Gil and Marianne de Tolentinos). "Dario Suro 1917–1879 : Metamorfosis y Transmigraciones". Santo Domingo. Centro Cultural de Espana. * Reyes, Alfonso (1946). Dario Suro Exhibition Catalogue. (commentaries by Alfonso Reyes and María Izquierdo) Palacio de Bellas Artes. Mexico City. * Salazar, Adolfo (1946). "Las Artes En Mexico De Semana A Semana". ''Novedades''. Mexico D.F. * de los Santos, Danilo (November 21, 1981). "1. La Leccion Retrospectiva De Dario Suro: Impressionismo, Realismo Racial y Expresionismo". ''Hoy'' Suplemento Isla Abierta. Pages 4–5. Santo Domingo. * de los Santos, Danilo (November 28, 1981). "2. La Leccion Retrospectiva De Dario Suro: Informalismo, Neopaisajismo y Figuracion Fraccionada". ''Hoy'' Suplemento Isla Abierta. Pages 4–5. Santo Domingo. * de los Santos, Danilo (2003–2007). "Memoria de la Pintura Dominicana" (eight-volume ''Encyclopedia of Dominican Art''). Santo Domingo and Santiago de los Caballeros:
Grupo León Jimenes E. León Jimenes is a holding vehicle controlled by the León family in the consumer sector in Latin America. This corporation was historically involved in mainly two markets — fabrication and distribution of beverages and tobacco cultivation ...
. * Santos Torroella, Rafael (1952). "1 Bienal Hipanoamericana de Arte". ''Mundo Hispanico''. Number 46. Madrid. * Soto Ricart, Humberto (December 8, 1974). "Dario Suro y Su Proxima Exposicion Retrospectiva". ''El Nacional De Ahora'' Suplemento Dominical. Pages 4–5. Santo Domingo. * Squirru, Rafael (1978). ''Arte De America'' (El Arte Erotico De Dario Suro. Pages 361–363). Buenos Aires: Ediciones Gaglianone. * Sullivan, Edward J. (1996) "Dominican Crossroads" (from ''Modern and Contemporary Art of the Dominican Republic''). Page 13. New York: Americas Society and the Spanish Institute. * Suro, Federico (three-part article; January 2, 9 and 16, 1999). "Dario Suro Fragmentado Apuntes De Una Vida En Formato De Collage" '' Listin Diario''. Ventana, Artes Y Letras. Santo Domingo. * Suro, Federico (January 9, 1999). "Dario El Dibujante". ''El Caribe''. Page 20. Santo Domingo. * Tanasescu, Horia (June 7, 1953). "Exposicion Retrospectiva de Dario Suro". ''El Caribe''. Santo Domingo. * de Tolentino, Marianne (October–November 1981). "Historica y Joven Retrospectiva de Dario Suro" '' Listin Diario'' (three-part article). * de Tolentino, Marianne (November 28, 1987). "Bienvenido Sea El Desafio De Dario Suro". '' Listin Diario'' (Suplemento). Page 20. Santo Domingo. * Tourres, Choucette (1946). "Exposicion Dario Suro". ''Revista Manana''. Mexico D.F. * Ugarte, Maria (February 7, 1967). "La Pintura De Dario Suro Esta En Continua Evolucion". ''El Caribe''. Santo Domingo. * Valdes, Zoe (Spring 1999). "Fantasia Al Suro de todos los tiempos" (short story dedicated to Dario Suro). ARS Atelier. Page 17. New York. * Valdes Jr., Gustavo (Summer 1998). "Dario Suro: La Herejia en el Arte". ARS Atelier. Page 10. New York. * de la Vega, Lolita (February 1997). "Dario Suro Gran Pintor, Critico de Arte y Diplomatico". ''Temas'' magazine. Volume 47, Number 542; New York. * Velazquez Chavez, Agustin (November 13, 1946). "Dario Suro". ''Ars''. Mexico D.F. * Velazquez, Rufo (1951). "VIII Salon de los Once". ''Arte''. Madrid. * Zakrzewski Brown, Isabel (1999). ''Culture and Customs of the Dominican Republic''. Page 170. Westport, Connecticut:
Greenwood Publishing Group Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. (GPG) was an educational and academic publisher (middle school through university level) which was part of ABC-Clio. Since 2021, ABC-Clio and its suite of imprints, including GPG, are collectively imprints of ...
. * Zanetti, Vela (May 1954). "Les Arts Plastiques". ''La Revue Française''. Volume 6, Number 56. Pages 67–70. Paris. * Several authors (2010). Coleccion Permanente de Arte de la Camara de Diputados. "Trascendencia y Esplendor". Santo Domingo. {{DEFAULTSORT:Suro, Dario 1917 births 1997 deaths 20th-century diplomats Dominican Republic abstract painters Dominican Republic art critics Dominican Republic diplomats Dominican Republic expatriates in the United States Dominican Republic expatriates in Mexico Dominican Republic expatriates in Spain Dominican Republic people of Cuban descent Dominican Republic people of English descent Dominican Republic people of Galician descent Dominican Republic people of Puerto Rican descent Dominican Republic people of Spanish descent Dominican Republic male writers Equine artists Impressionist painters 20th-century Dominican Republic artists 20th-century Dominican Republic painters La Vega Province Male painters 20th-century male artists People from La Vega, Dominican Republic Dominican Republic landscape painters People from Santo Domingo Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado "La Esmeralda" alumni