Don Jaime Cugat Aragonés, Cuba (acquired circa 1915)
Thence by descent to the present owner, Barcelona

This painting has not been recently restored and would benefit from restoration. The condition is lightly uneven in areas. There are diagonal cuts across each corner running for approximately 18 inches but the canvas and paint layer on either side are original. At some point this painting was cut here and may have been framed as an octagon, nonetheless the added sections in the corners do appear to be original. There are other losses and restorations in the lower sky, particularly on the right. There are spots of retouch in the upper sky and fairly broad retouching towards the upper edge and in the lighter blue on the left side of the sky. Each one of the diagonal drawings on each corner has received fairly broad retouching and there is a slightly more complex damage in the lower right which has received repairs but which is still quite visible. This painting does not look its best at present and if it were to be reexamined by a conservator to change the lining and clean and retouch the paint layer more effectively, the painting would improve greatly. At present there are numerous restorations throughout but they seem to be very broad and unnecessary in many places. This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Sugar fueled the most formidable economic engine in the Caribbean basin, becoming the cash crop that led to the development of the slave trade. Although various accounts of life in the colonies were printed in the early recorded history of the islands, surviving images portraying the life in the colonies are very scarce. Occasional visiting artists were commissioned to produce views of grandiose estates, picturesque island features or coastal views. Other artists in the wake of Alexander von Humboldt were interested in accurately describing the region's topography. Most prints published in the 19^th century relate to the islands' industry representing the vast extensions of the sugar cane fields and the impressive constructions roofing the mills and the boiling rooms of these refineries.

Curiously, there are very few pictorial representations of agricultural activities of the time which is why  the present work depicting "sugar cutters" is not only an imposing visual document but is also quite a unique and mysterious painting. Stylistically, the canvas is related to the 19^th century European academy.  Indeed, there could be traces of Jean François Millet's circle and even Camille Pissarro's 1850's work in St. Thomas and Venezuela.  The composition is very well staged.  A figural group in the foreground is cutting the cane and making bundles that will be taken to the wooden cart on the left. The commanding pose of the man with the blue and white shirt makes him the central figure of the composition and the entire painting seems to be revolving around his straw hat. Affectionate gender equality is suggested by these men and women slaves that are rendered in a manner that reveals a skilled hand.  In the upper half of the composition we see constructions and the sugar mill chimney. To the right, close to the tree, it has been proposed that the tower could be the famous and quite unique bell tower of the Hacienda Macana Iznaga , near Trinidad in Cuba which still stands today. The bell marked the beginning and the end of the labor in the fields, and also served as an observation post to follow the labor in the fields and to track possible slave escapes.

The theme of sugar cane cutters was to be revisited in the mid-20^th century -in a dynamic, colorful and heroic composition- by one of the masters of Cub🌼an art, Mario Carreño in his 🎃"Cortadores de caña," 1943.