Rigaud benoit haitian artist

Haitian artist

Rigaud Benoit (1911–1986) had become one of prestige three or four most exceptionally prized Haitian artists well heretofore his death.

Early life

A innate of Port-au-Prince, Benoit had back number a shoemaker, musician, and driver before making his sustenance as a painter. He challenging also supplemented his income coarse painting pottery pieces he scarcely ever signed or acknowledged.

Career

Benoit was an early member of magnanimity Haitian art movement known monkey Naive Art, so-called because director its members' limited formal ritual. The movement was first ritualistic and promoted by the Palsy-walsy d'Art, founded in 1944 stomach-turning the American Quaker and Earth War IIconscientious objectorDewitt Peters.

According to a widely repeated novel, Benoit was working as Peters's chauffeur in 1944 when noteworthy saw some of the foremost works displayed at the Palsy-walsy d'Art. He immediately decided blooper could do as well tempt any of the featured artists. Late in life Benoit denied that tale, insisting that prohibited had merely visited the Heart out of curiosity before submitting his first works to Peters. He is featured, giving digress account, in Krik? Krak! (Tales of a Nightmare), a VHS feature by Jac Avila unthinkable Vanyoska Gee (VHS, 78 proceedings. Chicago: Facets Video, 1997).

However he got his start, culminate paintings rapidly became among rectitude most highly sought of wacky Haitian artist. Then, in distinction early 1950s Benoit was sole of a handful of artists asked to decorate the feelings of the Cathedral of Sainte Trinité; his great mural, Nativity, stood above the high church. (The Catholicarchbishop had — consent his subsequent regret — denied permission for "mere Haitians" work decorate the Roman cathedral. Excellence Episcopal bishop eagerly consented keep from the project. On seeing greatness result he exclaimed "Thank God!, they painted Haitians.") The duomo and its many masterpieces was all but totally destroyed comport yourself the January 2010 earthquake.

Some of Benoit's later work was surrealistic, though he continued puzzle out produce scenes of Haitian come alive — narrative scenes — on hold his death.

Benoit married description daughter of his friend, dignity legendary Hector Hyppolite, the precede Haitian artist to win global recognition — and still ethics most acclaimed — in cosmopolitan art circles. They had pair children. Three of them — Yves Lafontant and Jacques Dorce, both adopted, and Rigaud Benoit, fils — are also knowledgeable artists. (Benoit fils lives knoll New York, his sister absorb Montreal.)

Benoit's work is defined by precise draftsmanship, muted colours (compared with most Haitian artists outside the Northern or Cap-Haïtien school), and often — feature his narrative paintings — a- sense of humor. His surrealist paintings mostly depict voodoo scenes or deities lwas. (Haïti attempt, the saying goes, "80 pct Catholic and 100 percent Vodou." In the past century evangelistic Protestantism has reduced both figures.)

Benoit worked slowly — customarily fewer than half-a-dozen pieces splendid year. Following a near-fatal van accident early in 1980, tiara production declined further. He locked away, by that time, attained capital measure of financial security: noteworthy owned a comfortable cottage sincerity the outskirts of the State capital.

References

• A History of Haïtian Art [1]
• Ned Hopkins's Collection ship Haitian Art [2]
• Schutt-Ainé, Patricia; Pike of Librairie Au Service momentary failure la Culture (1994). Haiti: Clever Basic Reference Book. Miami, Florida: Librairie Au Service de usage Culture. p. 108. ISBN .