XX century marked transfer of Cuban art to avant-garde style. First artists whose works became starting point of Cuban surrealism are Antonio Gattorno, Eduardo Abela, Carlos Enriquez Gomez, Fidelio Ponce de Leon. These painters’ lives coincided with troubled times in history of their country concerned with gaining its national identity. Inevitably it found reflections in art. They shared spirit of their country and created their works inspired by nationalism and renovations being key factors in Cuban national mood of XX century.

Prominent Cuban artists Eduardo Abela and Antonio Gattorno were the first ones who brought features of Mexican and European painting trends into Cuba. They also used such devices like idealization and directness. They depicted Cuba in modern primitivism style: as rural country with simple but extremely romantic and melancholic inhabitants.

Nevertheless avant-gardism showed Cuba in the artworks in the way far from actual reality. In painting of avant-garde painters themes of change and death can be expressively seen; but Carlos Enriquez Gomez, for instance, shows them in light of enthusiastic emotions, and Fidelio Ponce de Leon – in light of glum contemplation.

Abovementioned outstanding avant-garde artists formed an excellent basis for the painters of late XX century. Their influence to the next generations of Cuban artists is extremely strong as Cuba even now is looking for its cultural identity in the light of its African and Spanish roots. Plants, animals, landscape of Cuban island and traditional knowledge of the Cubans which have usually been ignored during previous centuries revealed and manifested themselves in full in the late avant-gardism. And modern Cuban painters like Juan Ramon Valdes Gomez continued traditions of their predecessors.