In the fertile green valleys of western Cuba, mogote, or towering limestone hills, seem to appear out of nowhere as they rise tall from flat plains. Mogote are steep and densely covered geological formations reaching up to 1,000 feet. Over a million years old, mogote have witnessed both dinosaurs and human life. Within their limestone cavities are hidden caves, secret passageways, and evidence of human presence reaching back thousands of years. Dramatic and mysterious, these geological treasures often appear in Cuban landscape paintings and remain connected to Cuban national identity and pride.  

Ruben Berland’s painting Mogote Bajo La Luz de la Luna Ilena (Mogote Under the Light of the Moon) is lush and moody, evoking the mysterious nature of a seemingly otherworldly place. Hyperrealistic, with a hint of the surreal, Berland infuses wonder and the sublime in this magical painting of a Cuban landscape. 

-Jill Ahlberg Yohe, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art