Caballero de Pari

Created in Santa Fe, Caballero De Pari is distinguished by its luminous, almost neon-like glow—an effect that becomes especially vivid when the painting is illuminated. The work draws upon Rolando Diaz’s childhood memories of El Caballero de París, a well-known unhoused man who wandered the streets of Havana.

With his long hair, dignified clothing, and regal bearing, El Caballero de París claimed descent from Spanish royalty and became an unforgettable figure in the city. Diaz remembers him as an intelligent and poetic man who carried pencils and writing pads and dressed with the elegance of another era.

The portrait is often interpreted as an image of Jesus—an association Diaz welcomes because of Christ’s closeness to the poor and marginalized. Through this visual duality, the painting becomes both a personal remembrance and a broader meditation on dignity, compassion, and the nobility that can exist beyond material circumstances.