 What these two most original and distinctive of the vanguardia painters had in common - aside from severe problems with alcoholism - was the fact that neither had studied in Europe.Early in 1927, solo exhibitions were held for Victor Manuel and Antonio Gattorno at Havana's Association of Painters and Sculptors, followed in May by the "First Exposition of New Art", a group show featuring mostly Cuban modernists.Trumpeted by the avant-garde journal "Revista de Avance", these well-received shows were important strides towards the acceptance of modern art in Cuba.