Rigaud Benoit (Haitian, 1911-1986)

Rigaud Benoit had become, well before his death, one of the three or four most highly prized Haitian artists. He was an early member of the Haitian art movement known as Naive Art, so-called because of its members' limited formal training. The movement was first recognized and promoted by the Centre d'Art, founded in 1944 by the American Dewitt Peters. He was one of the few artists asked to decorate the interior of the Cathedral of Sainte Trinité. Benoit's later work was surrealist, though he continued to produce Haitian life scenes—narrative scenes—until his death. Benoit married the daughter of his friend Hector Hyppolite, the first Haitian artist to win international recognition and still the most acclaimed in international art circles. Benoit's work is characterized by precise draftsmanship, muted colors, and often—in his narrative paintings—a sense of humor. His surrealist paintings mostly depict vodou scenes or deities. Please scroll down to browse his arts!