Havana
c. 1915-1920
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper mounted to paperboard
Dimensions
sheet: 18.1 x 23.1 cm (7 1/8 x 9 1/8 in.) mount: 23 x 31 cm (9 1/16 x 12 3/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
The John U. and Evelyn S. Nef Collection
Accession Number
2011.60.2
Art Historical Context
Jules Pascin’s *Havana* captures a fleeting moment from the artist’s travels in the Americas during the late 1910s. Created between 1915 and 1920, this intimate watercolor and graphite drawing on paper reflects Pascin’s signature approach to works on paper, where fluid washes and delicate graphite lines combine to evoke atmosphere rather than precise detail. The small scale—roughly the size of a postcard—invites close viewing, drawing the eye into a composition that suggests a Cuban street or harbor scene. Pascin, a Bulgarian-born artist who became a central figure in the School of Paris, oft...