Armando José Isabel García-Menocal y García-Menocal (1863 - 1942), commonly known as Armando Menocal, was a Cuban painter[1] and educator.
Menocal was born on July 8, 1863, in Havana, Captaincy General of Cuba, Spanish Empire (now Cuba).[2] He first studied at the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes San Alejandro in his native city, under Miguel Melero. In 1880 he went to Spain for further study with Francisco Jover y Casanova. In Spain he also became acquainted with the work of Joaquín Sorolla and the thinking of Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo. He also exhibited in Spain, winning numerous awards.
Menocal later returned to Cuba to join the Liberation Forces in the Cuban War of Independence; upon its completion, he dedicated himself to the teaching of art, returning to his alma mater as a professor of landscape painting. In 1927 he was named director; in 1940 he became director emeritus. One of his notable students was Pastor Argudín Pedroso.[3]
His paintings decorated many public buildings around Havana, and today may be seen in the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana. He was also a member of Cuba's National Academy of Arts and Letters. He died on September 28, 1942, in Havana.