About the Artwork
In this coffee art painting by Ramón Frade, Caracolillo, we see a young lady picking coffee beans off of a bush. She smiles at the viewer, land and sky behind her, the wicker basket, front and center, this act very much part of her identity. Nothing else matters but this moment , a slice of her life caught by the artist.
About the artist
Puerto Rican painter, Ramón Frade de León (March 12, 1875 – November 7, 1954) was a visual artist and architect. His realist style of painting captured the life of Puerto Rican campesinos (country people).
Who is the woman in the painting?
The young woman pictured in the painting, is the artist’s neighbor, Maria Teresa Diaz. According to the 1940s census, she was born about 1930 making her about 18 years old here. She’s dressed in what looks to be her Sunday best: flowery dress, sweater, head scarf. Although the title is Caracolillo, she shares the spotlight.
What was happening in Puerto Rico at the time of the painting?
This painting was created in 1948. General elections were held in Puerto Rico on November 2, 1948, which included the first-ever elections for the position of governor, who had previously been appointed by the President of the United States.
Lets Talk about Coffee
Coffee cultivation was the main source of income for many Puerto Rican families until well into the 20th century.
Caracolillo is Spanish for peaberry, a type of coffee bean, cultivated in Puerto Rico as well as other parts of the world. With the peaberry, a single bean grows inside of the coffee cherry instead of two. Caracolillo, means “little snail,” because of its more rounded shape.
These beans are special and some believe superior in flavor, often called the champagne of coffee because of it’s sweet and smooth taste. Peaberry coffee is considered one of the best in the world.
Reflection
Coffee and neighbors, perfect together, or are they? Do our neighbors share the spotlight in our lives? According to a recent study 66% of Americans aren’t friends with their neighbors.
The peaberry is special because it takes longer to cultivate them, because of this they are more expensive. Like the peaberry, it takes time to cultivate friendship, that’s what makes them special. But maybe we can cut the time in half if we take the time to cultivate friendship with our neighbors, you know, leaning into the power of proximity. After praying for a friend during a lonely period in my life, God bought me a friend in my neighbor whom I met in the laundromat. Repeated cafecito dates with this neighbor friend got me through the pandemic!
Painting Recreation of Ramón Frade’s Caracolillo
I had fun recreating this painting during the pandemic and actually made a friend in the instagram neighborhood while doing it when I saw her recreate the same painting!
Art work Recreation Project Resource
I created this painting recreation resource if you, your children, students, loved ones, would like to try one. You can learn more about it in this blog post and also get the PDF version in my Etsy shop here.