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Lot Essay
Haiti’s rich and complex foundation of Taíno, African, Spanish and French history has bred a vibrant, colourful visual culture. Haitian artists became known to the western avante-garde during the early 20th Century with a school of largely self-taught artists who emerged with distinctive approaches to representing their culture and environment, most notably Hector Hyppolite and Philomé Obin, known as the ‘grandfathers’ of Haitian modern art.
André Breton first visited Haiti in 1945 to deliver a series of lectures at the Centre d’Art in Port-au-Prince and became aware of Hyppolite, purchasing several of his paintings. In 1947, Breton wrote an essay dedicated to the artist, published in Surrealism and Painting, expounding his talents and expressing of his work that it “evoked the same sensation of a sunny day in the country, gently waving grass, sprouting seeds, buttercups, the iridescence of insects wings, the tiny clashing cymbals of the flowering creepers”. Breton’s interest therefore attracted attention of the Paris avant-garde, leading to exhibitions abroad. Although Hyppolite, a Vodou priest, was not painting as a surrealist by his own design, referring moreso to his personal reality as informed by the religious and cultural elements of his beliefs and environment, the impact of his free and passionate approach with the introduction of mystical Vodou motifs captivated Breton who considered the artist one of his own.
Gabriel Alix, represented in this group with three compositions (lots 29, 32 and 35), was a lifelong friend of Hyppolite and moved to Port-au-Prince in 1946 where he joined the Centre d’Art, painting daily life scenes, jungle imagery and still life subjects throughout his career from then on. Works included here show is best known subjects, strongly referencing utopian environments depicting lush fruits and vegetation, exotic animals and a sense of abundance. Seymour Etienne Bottex was also discovered by the Centre d’art and is well known for his vibrant market scenes, such as the example seen in this group (lot 30).
The artists represented here come together in a lovingly assembled group from a European collection, featuring subject matter of jungles, markets and the people. All executed in bright and saturated colour these works exemplify strong elements of Haitian culture in a range of artistic visual languages, each distinctly individual.
André Breton first visited Haiti in 1945 to deliver a series of lectures at the Centre d’Art in Port-au-Prince and became aware of Hyppolite, purchasing several of his paintings. In 1947, Breton wrote an essay dedicated to the artist, published in Surrealism and Painting, expounding his talents and expressing of his work that it “evoked the same sensation of a sunny day in the country, gently waving grass, sprouting seeds, buttercups, the iridescence of insects wings, the tiny clashing cymbals of the flowering creepers”. Breton’s interest therefore attracted attention of the Paris avant-garde, leading to exhibitions abroad. Although Hyppolite, a Vodou priest, was not painting as a surrealist by his own design, referring moreso to his personal reality as informed by the religious and cultural elements of his beliefs and environment, the impact of his free and passionate approach with the introduction of mystical Vodou motifs captivated Breton who considered the artist one of his own.
Gabriel Alix, represented in this group with three compositions (lots 29, 32 and 35), was a lifelong friend of Hyppolite and moved to Port-au-Prince in 1946 where he joined the Centre d’Art, painting daily life scenes, jungle imagery and still life subjects throughout his career from then on. Works included here show is best known subjects, strongly referencing utopian environments depicting lush fruits and vegetation, exotic animals and a sense of abundance. Seymour Etienne Bottex was also discovered by the Centre d’art and is well known for his vibrant market scenes, such as the example seen in this group (lot 30).
The artists represented here come together in a lovingly assembled group from a European collection, featuring subject matter of jungles, markets and the people. All executed in bright and saturated colour these works exemplify strong elements of Haitian culture in a range of artistic visual languages, each distinctly individual.