Guillermo Collazo Tejada (7 June 1850,

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...

- 26 September 1896,

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

) was a Cuban painter and advocate for independence.

Biography

Collazo was born into an established colonial family. His artistic talent was noticed at an early age by one of his instructors at school in Santiago. While there, he was also motivated to become an independence fighter following the death by firing squad of one of his cousins at age 17. At the beginning of the

Ten Years' War The Ten Years' War ( es, Guerra de los Diez Años; 1868–1878), also known as the Great War () and the War of '68, was part of Cuba's fight for independence from Spain. The uprising was led by Cuban-born planters and other wealthy natives. O ...

, his parents, aware of his activities and concerned for his safety, hastily put him on board a ship headed for the United States.Brief biography
@ Cernuda Arte. He arrived in New York with no resources, speaking no English. Eventually, he found a job touching up and coloring photographs at a small shop in the

Bowery The Bowery () is a street and neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City. The street runs from Chatham Square at Park Row, Worth Street, and Mott Street in the south to Cooper Square at 4th Street in the north.Jackson, Kenneth L. "B ...

. After a short time there, he found work in the studios of

Napoleon Sarony Napoleon Sarony (March 9, 1821 – November 9, 1896) was an American lithographer and photographer. He was a highly popular portrait photographer, best known for his portraits of the stars of late-19th-century American theater. His son, Otto Sar ...

,Brief biography
@ Eumed. and was able to save enough money to open his own art studio, enjoying great success as a portrait painter. He also continued to raise money for revolutionary causes, and helped

José Martí José Julián Martí Pérez (; January 28, 1853 – May 19, 1895) was a Cuban nationalist, poet, philosopher, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher, who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in the libera ...

get his first writing job at ''The Hour'', a magazine where Collazo worked as an illustrator. In 1883 he returned to Cuba, opening a studio in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

. Five years later, hampered by the increasingly oppressive political atmosphere there, he decided to go to Paris, where he opened a large studio which became a meeting point for the Cuban exile community and, occasionally, a place for planning revolutionary activities. In 1890, two of his works were selected for an exhibition at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

. In his final years, he devoted himself to sculpture because an addiction to narcotics had affected his eyesight and he was unable to focus clearly enough to paint. He died in Paris and, in 1899, after the

War of Independence This is a list of wars of independence (also called liberation wars). These wars may or may not have been successful in achieving a goal of independence. List See also * Lists of active separatist movements * List of civil wars * List of o ...

, his family brought his remains back to Cuba. His works were not exhibited in Cuba until 1933, when the architect Evelio Govantes (1886-1981) organized a showing at the Lyceum with paintings borrowed from Collazo's friends and family. In 1976, his painting "The Patio" was used on one of a series of stamps honoring Cuban painters. His brother, Enrique (1848-1921), was a high-ranking commander in the Liberation Army. @ En Caribe.

References

External links

Biography and appreciation
by Jorge Rigol @ the Cuban Arts Connection.

@ Deposit Photos. {{DEFAULTSORT:Collazo, Guillermo 1850 births 1896 deaths Cuban expatriates in France 19th-century Cuban painters 19th-century male artists Male painters