La Rumba Supermarket

Thomas Cole presents in JAMA the artwork of the Cuban American painter Emilio Sánchez (1921-1999) who is known for his sharply defined patterns of light and shadow on the houses, storefronts, and skyscrapers. Untitled, Bronx Storefront, “La Rumba Supermarket” is a painting of a New York grocery store with Cuban characteristics that is exhibited at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC. One can find on many street corners in the city of New York, bodegas with colorful awnings and window ads that sell convenience items to regular customers from local neighborhoods. The grocery in Sánchez’ painting is larger than most bodegas—large enough to host a party in the late afternoon. Seen dimly in the doorway of the grocery is a crowd of people standing close together, possibly dancing. The name of the store, La Rumba, refers to a style of music and dance that originated in Cuba in the 19th century. The most popular rumba dance, the guaguancó, is a flirtation: the woman’s role is to wave her skirt in time with the music to entice her man, but when he moves in closer she dances away.