Jean Sénat Fleury
Haitian Art, especially, painting and sculpture, is among the most appreciated in the world. Most books on Haitian Arts conveniently begin their history with the Centre d’Art in 1944. ,
In 1944, in Port-au-Prince, Dewitt Peters, an American schoolteacher founded the Centre d’Art, which became the champion of the art form that would be known as “Naïve Art” or better called “intuitive Art”. Intuitive painting is characterized by vivid, raw colors, a spatial composition and use of proportions that did not abide by any of the laws of modern aesthetics, but rather revealed spontaneity, freedom of expression and freshness.
The primitives of the first generation received worldwide acclaim. Critics and collectors received that movement as “authentic” and “unspoiled.” The main heroes of that movement were otherwise common, non-artistically trained folk who had great talent: André Pierre (1914-2005), Hector Hyppolite (1894 – 1948), Castera Bazile (1923 – 1966), Wilson Bigaud (1931 - 2010), Rigaud Benoit (1911 – 1986). Voodoo was prominently featured in the works of these artists. André Pierre and Hyppolite themselves were voodoo priests.
There were many offshoots of the Naïve movement. Philomé Obin (1892 – 1986), arguably among the top 5 Haitian painters ever, has created the School of Cap-Haitian that included artists such as his young brother Sénèque Obin (1893 – 1977). Second generation intuitive painters include Gérard Valcin (1925 – 1988), Wilmino Domond (1925 - 2006), Seymour Bottex (1922 – 2016), Gabriel Alix (1930 – 1998), Gesner Armand (1936 – 2008) and Préfète Duffaut (1923 – 2012). The second generation is characterized by a certain departure from the style of the original masters in the 1940s. Many of those artists like Armand would, through their travels, learn other techniques and would use them to enrich and solidify their original style.
The School of 1968 shows renewed interest in Voodoo and Pre-Hispanic themes. It featured Tiga (Jean-Claude Garoute) (1935 – 2006), Maud Robart and Patrick Vilaire. Tiga and Robert would be at the origin of what André Malraux called the most striking experiment of magical painting he had ever seen.
The artistic production of Haitian painters has never been more alive. Many of them are born during the last decades: Dieudonné Cédor, Max Pinchinat, Lucien Pierre, Lafortune Félix, André Pierre, Jean-Claude Legagneur, Édouard Duval-Carrié, Burton Chenet, Gesner Abelard, Luckner Lazard, Stevenson Magloire, Antonio Joseph, Gerner Armand, Jacques Gabriel, Hervé Thélémaque, Ernst Louizor, Jacques Valbrun, Réginald Valbrun, Mercedes Coachy, Carlo Jean-Baptiste, Ludovic Booz, Albert Mangones, Jean Menard Derenoncourt, Valcin II, Ulrick Jean-Pierre, Richard Barbot, Philippe Attié, Pascal Smarth, Florence Mardy, Ralph Allen, Célestin Faustin, Eric Guiraud, Louverture Poisson, Pétion Savin, Nicole Saint-Victor, Etzer Charles, Kesnel Franklin, Jean-Baptiste Bottex, Bernard Wah, George Paul Hector, Alix Roy, Eric and William Jean-Louis, Saint-Louis Blaise, Serge Moléon Blaise, Philippe Dodard, Lyonel Laurenceau, Joseph Casimir, Jean-Philippe Claude, Albott Bonhomme, Jonas Exume, Jackson Day, Bitho Faustin, Jean Ricardo Domond, Joseph Ernst Domond, Jean-Patrick Tintin, Gino Tintin, Jean-René Tintin, Eddy Tintin, Myrlene Legendre Désir, Yves Rigaud, Charlot Lucien, Bob Bazile, Victoria (Vicky) Exume, Roberson Joseph, Edna Chéry, Joseph Chéry, Nixon Leger, Yvon Alexandre, Samuel Luxama, Fritz Duchêne, Chavenet Carvanagh, Frank Louissaint, Valentin Iviquel, Raymond Lafaille, Françoise Jean, Patrick G. Wah, Illomé Joseph, Jean-Robert Brazil, Presler Constant, Raphael Sagage, Siméon Michel, Patrick Gaspard, Jean Dauphin, Jameson Pierre, Pascal Monnin, Marie-Hélène Cauvin, Lesly Exume, Ronald Mevs, Steven Magloire, Enel Désir, etc.
Haitian Art History Chronology
• 1807 – 1818: Henri Christophe encouraged some artistic activity in the North part of Haiti.
• 1816 – 1828: Invited by President Alexandre Pétion, the French artist Barincourt founded an art school in Port-au-Prince.
• 1830 – 1860: Thirty Haitian artists, some of them trained in France, have done some art exhibit in Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitian.
• 1863 – 1867: President Geffrard created an art academy in Port-au-Prince.
• 1880: The Haitian artist Archibald Lochard opened an academy for painting and sculpture in Port-au-Prince.
• 1915: Normil Charles and Archibald Lochard founded an academy for painting and sculpture.
• 1930: William Scott, an American artist encouraged Pétion Savain to paint. A group of artists rejoined him.
• 1941: Opening of the Bureau and the Museum of Ethnology in Port-au-Prince.
• 1943: Dewitt Peters travels in Haiti and after contacting Horace Ashton, the director of the American-Haitian institute, he opens an art section inside the institute.
• 1944: President Elie Lescot inaugured the Art Center in Port-au-Prince.
• 1945: Under the direction of José Gomez Sicre, Dewitt Peters organized an exhibit on modern Cuban art at the Art Center. This exhibition by Cuban artist Carlos Henriquez was a real success. On September 15, 1945, an Art School was opened in Cap-Haitian under the direction of Philomé Obin and Hélène Schomberg. In December, Andre Breton came to Haiti and visited the Art Center. He wrote about Hector Hyppolite in Surréalisme et Peinture (1947).
• 1946: Wilson Bigaud joined the Art Center.
• 1947: A group of Haitian painters travelled to France and exhibited their art at UNESCO (Paris).
• 1948: On the 13th February, André Breton visited the Art Center for the second time and bought twelve canvasses by Hector Hyppolite. In June, the Rockefeller Foundation awarded study grants to three Haitian artists. In October, the Museum of Modern Art in New York bought works by Philomé Obin and Jacques Enguerrand Gourgue.
• 1949: Robert Saint-Brice and André Pierre joined the Center. Jean-Paul Sartre travelled to Haiti to visit the Art Center.
• 1950: A group of fifty artists left the Art Center and founded the Foyer des Arts Plastiques. The same year, Pierre Monosiet became Assistant Director of the Art Center.
• 1951: The Museum of Modern Art in New York bought Murder in the Jungle by Wilson Bigaud. William Bill Krauss wrote an important article on Haitian art called Holiday Magazine. The Oloffson Hotel and Mr. Roger Coster took a large part in promoting Haitian Art. Plimoné Obin painted two murals for the Holy Trinity Cathedral: The Last Supper and the Crucifixion.
• 1956: Foundation of the Club Brochette and the Gallery Brochette with Luckner Lazard, Antonio Joseph, Tiga, Néhémy Jean, Rose-Marie Desruisseau.
• 1957: The Issa El Saeih Gallery was opened to show works by the artists from the Foyer des Arts Plastiques. Vivian de Buren, a Swiss painter, settled in Haiti.
• 1958: The Red Carpet Gallery was opened in Pétion-Ville. Foundation of the Academy des Beaux-Arts with an Italian professor, Armerigo Montagutelli. Booz, Hida Williams, Simil, Hector, Rose-Marie Desrisseau and others taught there.
• 1959: Gérard Valcin, Bernard Séjourné, Antoine Obin and Pierre-Joseph Valcin came to the Art Center. Foundation of the Fine Arts Academy in Port-au-Prince. Tiga founded the first ceramics museum. Inauguration of the Carlo Mevs Gallery with an exhibit of the works of Sacha Tebo.
• 1960: In December, Salnave Philippe Auguste joined the Art Center. Group exhibit at the Biennal São Paulo, Brazil. Opening of the Carlos Gallery in Port-au-Prince. A mural in the Parc des Palmistes, Cité de l’Exposition, by Bernard Wah, Georges Hector, Paul Beauvoir, René Exumé and Wilson Jolicoeur.
• 1962: Opening of Calfou Art Center with Claudie and Tania Maximilien, Yves Morailles, Bernard Wah, Gigi Wah, Néhémy Jean, Bernard Séjourné and Davertige. Creation of the Art Department in Saint Pierre College in Port-au-Prince. Inauguration of the Museum of Haitian Art at Saint-Pierre College.
• 1963: Exhibit at the Alliance Française in Port-au-Prince showing the work of eleven Haitian women painters.
• 1964: First exhibit by Jean-Claude Rigaud at the Faculté des Sciences in Port-au-Prince. Exhibit by Claude Maximilien and Bernard Séjourné at Calfou Gallery.
• 1965: Marie-José Nadal Gardère received the 2nd prize for her painting “L’Oiseau Noir” at the Esso Salon Contest for young Haitian painters in the Haitian-American Institute. Exhibit “Les Jeunes Peintres” at the French Institute. In May, Howard University in Washington presented the exhibit “Haitian Ceramics” with Tiga, Patrick Vilaire, Yolande Etienne, Frido and Hilda Williams. Castera Bazile died.
• 1966: Dewitt Peters died after a long illness. The Museum of Haitian Art was created at Saint-Pierre College. Gallerie Monnin was opened in Port-au-Prince. After Dewitt Peters’ death, the Art Center was directed by Francine Murat and Antonio Joseph. Opening of the Nader Art Gallery.
• 1967: Georges Hector organized a great exhibit at the Alliance Française in Haïti.
• 1969: The Brooklyn Museum of New York organized an exhibit of Haitian Art called “Image of Haiti.” The same year, a group of Haitian artists participated at Carifiesta, the Caribbean Exhibit in Kingston, Jamaica. Néhémy Jean created “L’Atelier” to exhibit modern art and to provide art classes to young artists. Kurt Backman organized an exhibit of Haitian art in Oxford, London (Hayward Gallery).
• 1970: Haitian art exhibits were held at the Gallery Del Aiete, the La Feluca in Rome, the Museum of Auxerre, the ORTF in France and the Oswald Dortmund Museum. Opening of the Jerusalem Art Gallery in Port-au-Prince.
• 1972: May 11th, Inauguration of the new buildings of the Museum for Haitian Art in Port-au-Prince (Champ de Mars). The first exhibit of Saint Soleil at the Museum. Death of Paul Beauvoir. Exhibit by Luce Turnier at the French Institute in Port-au-Prince. Beginning of Saint Solei with Tiga and Maud.
• 1973: Death of Robert Saint-Brice and Pétion Savain. Commemorative exhibit for the second anniversary of the Haitian for Haitian Art of College Saint-Pierre.
• 1974: Exhibit at the Hervé Méhu Gallery in Pétion-Ville. The Saint Soleil exhibit in the French Institute of Haiti.
• 1975: La Cigoane” Festival in Soisson, the Saint Soleil mountain. Exhibit at the Bellas Artes in Mexico. Opening of La Petite Gallerie by Marie-José Gardère and Rona Thébaud.
• 1976: Competition of the theme “Governor of the Dew” at the Nader Gallery in Port-au-Prince. Philomé Obin received the distinction of the Order of Honor and Merit of Haiti. Exhibit in homage to Leopold Sedar Senghor at the Museum for Haitian Art on the occasion of his visit to Haiti. First exhibit at the French Institute of Haiti by Jean-Claude Legagneur.
• 1977: Group exhibit organized by the Anah in the Dante Alighieri Salon. Inauguration of the Galerie Marassa in Petion-Ville. The “Souffle d’Haiti” exhibit by Sheila Isham at the Museum for Haitian Art Exhibit by Lyonel Laurenceau at the Nader Gallery. Visit by André Malraux to Port-au-Prince and Saint Soleil.
• 1978: Exhibit at Toukouleur, New Art Center. 160 Haitian paintings and sculptures were on exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.
• 1979: On the 16th of March, exhibit by Bernard Wah at the Museum for Haitian Art on the theme “Return to the Tree II.” Exhibit in Paris, France, at the Musee de l’Homme in the palais de Chaillot.
• 1981: Exhibit on the theme “Cultural Heritage” organized by UNESCO in Paris. Death of Camy Rocher, Célestin Faustin, and Bernard Wah.
• 1982: In March, exhibit by John Colt and Ruth Kjaer at the Museum for Haitian Art.
• 1983: Opening in July of the École Nationale des Arts (ENARTS). Inauguration of the Haitian National Institute for Culture and Art (INAHCA) in Port-au-Prince. The French Ambassador presented Pierre Monosiet with the “Palmes Académiques” for Chancellor in honor of a life spent in the service of Haitian Art. Pierre Monosiet died in the same year.
• 1984: Exhibit in May for the 40th anniversary of the Art Center with a special showing of the founders’ work. Exhibit at the Museum for Haitian Art entitled “When Painters Drew.” Eye Care exhibit in Washington, D.C. Foundation of the Association of Afro-American Artists.
• 1985: Exhibit in December of the works of Patrick Vilaire, “Sculptures and Drawing”, at the Marassa Gallery presented its 33rd exhibit with the works of Gesner Armand, Sacha Tebo and Alix Roy, while Valcin II exhibited at the French Institute of Haiti and at Fleur Soleil. Lois Maïlou Jones Pierre-Noël at the Museum for Haitian Art. The Monnin Gallery participated in an exhibit in the Café de la Paix in Paris. Exhibit at Marassa Gallery of the UBP (Paris). Death of Descollines Manès, Fabolon Blaise, Saint-Pierre Toussaint, Daniel Taggart (who with his wife Ginette was the great promoter of artistic tapestries from Haiti) as well as of Max Pinchinat in Paris.
Source: Peinture Haïtienne/ Haitian Arts by Marie Jose Nadal & Gerald Bloncourt, Éditions Nathan, Paris, 1986.
