El Último Centauro - HALO DORADO

HALO DORADO

Portrait of a black horse in profile, head held high and neck powerful and curved, in an alert and contained stance. The animal is depicted with realism: cool, greenish reflections on a nearly black coat, a mane gathered in long strokes swept backwards, and an amber eye that concentrates the gaze. The treatment of the wrinkles of the muzzle and the forehead reveals an attentive study of anatomy.

Behind the head opens a large disk of gold-tone imitation sheet metal, like a halo or sun, framing the figure and elevating it to an almost iconic plane. The sheet shows wear in the form of a patina, with areas where the reddish base peeks through, adding texture and depth to the surface. The background, in earthy reds and dark reddish tones, is completed with golden baroque scrolls on the left and black silhouettes of barren branches and leaves on the right and at the bottom. The whole combines the naturalism of the horse with a flat, decorative ornamentation that evokes tapestry and devotional painting.

The piece belongs to the “Bestiario” line of El Último Centauro, dedicated to portraits of horses, bulls, and other creatures, with attention to their presence and their symbolic charge. The imitation metallic sheet adds shine and texture without resorting to real gold.

TECHNICAL DATA
- Artist: Luis González Rodríguez (El Último Centauro)
- Technique: oil and imitation gold leaf on canvas
- Dimensions: 33 x 36 cm (height x width)
- Year: 2026
- Signature: signed in the lower right with the initials "UC" (initials of the artistic pseudonym El Último Centauro) and dated "26"
- Original and unique work, entirely handmade
- Comes with a certificate of authenticity
- Shipped in a professional rigid tube, without a frame

ABOUT THE ARTIST
El Último Centauro is the artistic pseudonym of Luis González Rodríguez, under which he develops a body of work focused on the animal figure, expressive realism, and symbolism. He trained as a Bachelor in Plastic Arts at the Professional Academy of Plastic Arts of Las Tunas (2008-2012) and earned a degree in Visual Arts at the University of the Arts of Cuba, ISA (2013-2018). He was a designer and photographer at ISA (2018-2022) and a design professor in its Restoration Faculty (2018-2019). He has been a member of the Hermanos Saíz Association since 2015 and of UNEAC since 2022.

Among his solo exhibitions are “The Last Ashes” (UNEAC, Las Tunas, 2025), “Instincts” (Las Tunas, 2023), “Dimensions of Presence” (AHS, 2022), “Trance” (AHS, 2020) and “The Grand Hall” (Escena Estudio, Havana, 2018). He has participated in group exhibitions such as “After dark, the party begins” (AHS, 2025), “State of Spirit” (Pabellón Cuba, Havana, 2022), “Painting Warning” (ISA, within the framework of the 13th Havana Biennial, 2019), the 7th Cuban Contemporary Art Salon (Old Havana, 2017) and “Misen en scene” (ISA, within the framework of the 12th Havana Biennial, 2015).