Luis González Rodríguez (El Último Centauro) - HALO DORADO

GOLDEN HALO

A profile portrait of a black horse, its head held high and its powerful neck arched, conveying an alert yet restrained presence. The animal is rendered realistically: cool, greenish highlights across an almost-black coat, its mane swept back in long brushstrokes, and an amber eye that draws the viewer’s gaze. The treatment of the wrinkles around the muzzle and forehead reveals a close study of anatomy.

Behind the head, a large disc of imitation gold leaf opens like a halo or sun, framing the figure and elevating it to an almost iconic plane. The leaf has a worn, patinated finish, with areas where the reddish underlayer shows through, adding texture and depth to the surface. The background, in earthy and dark reddish tones, is completed by golden Baroque scrolls on the left and stenciled black silhouettes of branches and leaves on the right and along the bottom. The work combines the horse’s naturalism with flat, decorative ornamentation evocative of tapestry and devotional painting.

The piece belongs to El Último Centauro’s “Bestiary” series, dedicated to portraits of horses, bulls, and other creatures, with a focus on their presence and symbolic weight. The imitation metal leaf adds shine and texture without using genuine gold.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
- Artist: Luis González Rodríguez (El Último Centauro)
- Medium: oil and imitation gold leaf on canvas
- Dimensions: 33 x 36 cm (height x width)
- Year: 2026
- Signature: signed in the lower right corner with the initials “UC” (the initials of the artistic pseudonym El Último Centauro) and dated “26”
- One-of-a-kind original work, entirely handmade
- Certificate of authenticity included
- Shipped in a professional rigid tube, unstretched

ABOUT THE ARTIST
El Último Centauro is the artistic pseudonym of Luis González Rodríguez, under which he develops a body of work focused on animal figures, expressive realism, and symbolism. He trained as a Bachelor of 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 worked as a designer and photographer at ISA (2018–2022) and taught design in its Faculty of Restoration (2018–2019). He has been a member of the Hermanos Saíz Association since 2015 and UNEAC since 2022.

Notable solo exhibitions include “Las últimas cenizas” (UNEAC, Las Tunas, 2025), “Instintos” (Las Tunas, 2023), “Dimensiones de la presencia” (AHS, 2022), “Trance” (AHS, 2020), and “El gran salón” (Escena Estudio, Havana, 2018). He has participated in group exhibitions such as “After dark, comienza la fiesta” (AHS, 2025), “Estado de Espíritu” (Pabellón Cuba, Havana, 2022), “Advertencia pintura” (ISA, as part of the 13th Havana Biennial, 2019), the 7th Cuban Contemporary Art Salon (Old Havana, 2017), and “Misen en scene” (ISA, as part of the 12th Havana Biennial, 2015).