Vicente Escobar

Who was Vicente Escobar?

Vicente Escobar was a Cuban painter. A native of Havana, he was initially self-trained as an artist, though he later graduated from the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid. He then undertook a voyage through Spain, Italy, and France, before becoming painter to Queen Maria Cristina in 1827. Escobar was the first painter to have a workshop in Cuba; among his pupils there was Juan del Río. Escobar primarily painted portraits for the duration of his career. He died in Havana in 1834.