Portrait of Flora 1970

René Portocarrero made this watercolor painting titled "Portrait of Flora" sometime during his career. Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers and springtime, here embodies notions of fertility, abundance, and the cyclical renewal of nature. Portocarrero created this artwork in Cuba, a Caribbean nation with a rich and complex history, and which had a strong and vital artistic community during his lifetime. The painting likely comments on Cuban national identity through syncretism - the mixing of indigenous, African, and European traditions. The flowers in Flora's hair seem to echo the Afro-Cuban religion of Santería and its associated rituals, and the use of vibrant colors may point towards the region's dynamic artistic movements and the influence of surrealism. The loose handling of the watercolor paint shows the legacy of modernism on the island. To understand this painting better, we can research the artist's biography, explore Cuban cultural history, and look into the art criticism of his time. Art always reflects the society that creates it.