Introduction
Jaime Colson (1901 –November 20, 1975) was a modernist painter from the Dominican Republic. He, along with Yoryi Morel and Darío Suro, is considered one of the founders of the modernist school of Dominican painting.
Early life, education and career
Born in San Felipe de Puerto Plata, Colson moved in 1918 to Spain where he studied art in Madrid and Barcelona. He lived in Paris from 1924 to 1934, where he was greatly influenced by Cubists. Primarily a figurative artist, Colson experimented with several different artistic styles, including Cubism, Surrealism, and Neoclassicism. His artistic friends included José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Diego Rivera. After a short but intense stay in Cuba, Colson developed a close friendship with Cuban painter Mario Carreño Morales. He subsequently went back to Europe, where he remained for ten years (1939–1949). After living a decade in Europe, he returned to Santo Domingo in 1950 and continued to teach.
His works blend cubism, surrealism, symbolism, expressionism, neoclassicism.
He also wrote poetry and plays. He is one of the great painters of 20th-century Latin America.
Death and legacy
Colson died of throat cancer in Santo Domingo.
A retrospective of his work was held at Museo Bellapart in Santo Domingo in 2008.