XAVIER CUGAT (1900 - 1990)

  XAVIER CUGAT Internationally Famous Artist and Latin-American Star

"Cugy", as he is affectionately known, was born in Spain and taken to Cuba by his parents at the age of four. At age fourteen he was brought to the United States by Enrico Caruso as a child prodigy and violin virtuoso. In Cugat's own words, "At twenty-five, I concluded that I was good but not great." Shortly thereafter, he began his more popular musical career which brought him to the pinnacle of international fame.

From the beginning, however, there was the ever¬present pad and pencil next to the violin. Cugy was always a true artist, but it has only
been in the later years that the unique Cugat
Ie has blossomed forth. As truly fine art must reflect the philosophy and personality of its !ator, it is fitting that Cugy's works are refreshingly humorous, yet they possess great warmth d understanding for the latin-American friends of his childhood. As one critic put it, "Cugat's Irk is delightfully simple. The gentle quality of his characters, his brilliant use of color and his Irm sense of humor combine to achieve an almost magical lifelike quality."

,ong his numerous achievements as an artist, Cugat's widely acclaimed two-man show with Ivador Dali at the Hammer Gallery in New York ranks as one of his most satisfying triumphs.

vier Cugat originals hang in the personal collections of discriminating collectors from around ~ world, among whom are the following: