Past Exhibition

Spirit & Strength: Modern Art from Haiti

The painting shows a person who stands with their hands on their hips. Their skin is light brown, and they have thick, arched eyebrows, a pointed nose that appears to have a dark piercing in the side, and a slightly downturned mouth. They wear a large golden hoop earring and several strands of multicolored beads around their neck. Their dark hair is covered with a white head wrap that has a knot at the top. The person is dressed in a vivid dress that includes rich hues of blue, red, yellow, and white, complete with a dark red sash across their waist. A long, brown, curved object is tucked inside their belt, and brown and yellow patterned satchel is slung across their body. The background is a light blue color with patterns of red, white and blue starbursts surrounded by red, blue, white and yellow dots in circular formations scattered across the canvas. The painting is signed "A. Pierre" at the bottom right.
Andre Pierre, Mambo, early 1960s, oil on fiberboard, Gift of Kay and Roderick Heller, 2023.44.7

Details

  • Dates

    -

  • Locations

    East Building, Mezzanine — Gallery 214
The painting shows a person who stands with their hands on their hips. Their skin is light brown, and they have thick, arched eyebrows, a pointed nose that appears to have a dark piercing in the side, and a slightly downturned mouth. They wear a large golden hoop earring and several strands of multicolored beads around their neck. Their dark hair is covered with a white head wrap that has a knot at the top. The person is dressed in a vivid dress that includes rich hues of blue, red, yellow, and white, complete with a dark red sash across their waist. A long, brown, curved object is tucked inside their belt, and brown and yellow patterned satchel is slung across their body. The background is a light blue color with patterns of red, white and blue starbursts surrounded by red, blue, white and yellow dots in circular formations scattered across the canvas. The painting is signed "A. Pierre" at the bottom right.
Andre Pierre, Mambo, early 1960s, oil on fiberboard, Gift of Kay and Roderick Heller, 2023.44.7

Learn about some of the most celebrated Haitian artists of the 20th century.

Art flourished in Haiti—the world’s first Black republic—in the mid-1900s. Painters like Hector Hyppolite, Rigaud Benoît, and Philomé Obin were known around the world for their images of Haitian daily life, religious traditions, and history. Their works influenced generations of African American artists. Several, including Lois Mailou Jones and Eldzier Cortor, traveled to and worked in Haiti.

Spirit & Strength is the first chance to see 21 works by Haitian artists recently given to the National Gallery. Get an introduction to Haitian modern art and experience the remarkable creations of some of the most prominent artists in Haiti’s history alongside works by artists building upon their legacy today. Through its art, understand Haiti’s significant yet underrecognized importance in the culture of the African Diaspora.

Organization
Organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington

Curated by Kanitra Fletcher, associate curator of African American and Afro-Diasporic art, National Gallery of Art, with the assistance of Justin Brown, Samuel H. Kress Predoctoral Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art.

Explore Selected Works

  • The painting shows a person who stands with their hands on their hips. Their skin is light brown, and they have thick, arched eyebrows, a pointed nose that appears to have a dark piercing in the side, and a slightly downturned mouth. They wear a large golden hoop earring and several strands of multicolored beads around their neck. Their dark hair is covered with a white head wrap that has a knot at the top. The person is dressed in a vivid dress that includes rich hues of blue, red, yellow, and white, complete with a dark red sash across their waist. A long, brown, curved object is tucked inside their belt, and brown and yellow patterned satchel is slung across their body. The background is a light blue color with patterns of red, white and blue starbursts surrounded by red, blue, white and yellow dots in circular formations scattered across the canvas. The painting is signed "A. Pierre" at the bottom right.
  • This is a painting of a ceremonial procession passing through a tan wall with three large archways decorated with vibrant red-and-blue flags. Through the large, central archway, a group of men on horseback process toward us, the men wearing hats and uniforms in shades of green, gray, and blue. At the front of the group is a man with brown skin and a gray beard, wearing a red-and-blue sash over a green jacket and a black hat with a white plume. A well-dressed crowd is gathered around the procession, wearing colorful dresses and suits in shades of pink, teal, blue, and purple. They look towards the figures on horseback, and many of them clap. Among the people in the crowd and those on horseback, there is a wide variety of skin tones, including dark brown, light brown, tan, and pale pink. Beyond the arched openings, a long road lined with small, colorful buildings in shades of pink, yellow, and brown is visible under a blue sky.
  • This is a painting of a market scene with many people holding baskets and bundles of goods. The people at the market are men, women, and children of all ages, and they all have differently toned skin, from dark brown, to tan, to pale white. They wear colorful clothing in a variety of bright colors, including teal, blue, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and white. Many of the woman wear cloths over their heads in similarly colorful shades. The goods that people hold include cloth, meat, fruit, yarn, vegetables, and chairs. The crowd of people is dense, with many overlapping and partially obscuring one another. The background behind the people is a plain beige color.
  • This painting shows a landscape with a blue waterway running across it horizontally. On the opposite shore are several white buildings with red roofs, a larger one on the left with a tower and sloped roof and four smaller buildings on the left with pointed roofs. Pale blue paths lead from the buildings towards the water. Surrounding these buildings are plants painted in thin lines of black, dark green, and yellow-green. More plants line the shore nearest to us at the bottom of the painting. On the wide blue water are two boats, both facing the right. They are red and white, with red and blue flags flying from their tall masts. Above the scene is a sky painted in swirls of blue and gray on white, with a yellow sun on the left emitting yellow rays and three black birds flying on the left. The brushstrokes in the painting are thick and visible, and the underlying white shows through in many places.
  • This work depicts a large, bat-like figure with outstretched wings. The figure appears to sparkle, its black body outlined with gray. It has a red mouth, a red stomach, red boots, and a green snake wrapped around its neck. In one hand it holds a long sword, and in the other it holds a decapitated head by the hair. The head is white with red lips. The background is white. Below the wings of the creature, near the bottom left and right corners, are two colorful, symmetrical patterns or insignias. There is text at the top of the piece, and the word "Constant" in the bottom left corner. The material of the work appears to be small, colorful beads, giving it the textured appearance of a mosaic. The beads all reflect the light slightly differently.
  • This painting is a portrait of a person from the waist up, seated in a cushioned yellow chair, their body tuned to us and their head facing slightly to the left. They have darkly lined almond-shaped eyes, a long black mustache, and bright red lips partially open to reveal white teeth. Their skin is predominantly a warm light brown color, but some areas of their face, including their nose, under eyes, and jawline, are painted with lines of light yellow. They have long curly black hair flowing down beneath a red turban or headscarf with a dotted pattern. The person is wearing a red shirt with a structured collar and white decorative elements on the shoulders. Their right hand is held by their face, holding a cigarette, the well-manicured nails painted red. The background is painted in shades of teal and blue with a white light switch on the left side that is flipped on, and near the top right corner there are a plus sign and a minus sign in red. The entire image is bordered by a blue frame adorned with three-dimensional golden symbols, including shells, numbers, faces, and other small objects.
  • This painting depicts three people inside an abstract collection of curved and wavy lines. The central person has a large head surrounded by a strip of black that could be hair or a halo. Their arms are extended upward to either side, and where the hands would typically be, there are two more heads, each surrounded by a strip of bright blue. This central person wears a green-and-black striped shirt with white ruffles at the neck, waist, and wrists, a dark red skirt, and two white cross necklaces. Their three heads are outlined in pink ovals with dark red lines. To the left and right of this central person, two smaller people seem to stand on each side near the bottom left and right corners. They each wear blue shirts with green-and-black striped pants, and the person on the left has a wide-rimmed blue hat and the person on the right has a blue headband. These two people are surrounded by red ovals filled with what look like green plants. All of the people in the painting have brown skin and minimal facial features. The background is blue and filled with wavy yellow lines, except for a brown area at the very top near the right corner.
  • This print displays swirling shapes and intersecting lines in bright colors. The background is bright red, and the shapes contain shades of blue, purple, and bright pink. Many of the shapes are similar to leaves or petals, while some shapes suggest the heads or bodies of animals. On the right, there is a section of what might be white smoke or wool. At the top and by the bottom right corner, there are long ropes and chains that end in hooks, crisscrossing the scene.
  • This is a painting of a street scene filled with activity. On top of a hill are various structures, trees, and people. The buildings are predominantly green and yellow, arranged in a staggered manner up the incline. There are doors and windows in bright colors, most notably a green door in the center of the painting. The color scheme is vibrant, combining earthy tones with green, blue, and red accents. People of different ages are present, engaging in various activities: some carrying items, petting animals, or playing together. They all appear to have dark brown skin and wear clothing in bright shades of red, yellow, green, and blue. Trees and foliage are visible along the sides of the image and at the top.
  • This print features various shapes and lines scattered across a deep blue background. A large hand is at the center with a red sun, a yellow crescent moon, and a curving purple line on its palm. Above the hand are two overlapping yellow shooting stars. A flaming red heart is nearby, along with a purple masquerade mask, a pair of dice, a purple planet with rings, a yellow lightning bolt, and a curving red arrow. In the top left corner is a red sun with rays of green, purple, and yellow. In the bottom right corner is a face with light skin and silver hair and eyebrows. The bottom of the face is not visible.

Dive Deeper

This is a painting of a ceremonial procession passing through a tan wall with three large archways decorated with vibrant red-and-blue flags. Through the large, central archway, a group of men on horseback process toward us, the men wearing hats and uniforms in shades of green, gray, and blue. At the front of the group is a man with brown skin and a gray beard, wearing a red-and-blue sash over a green jacket and a black hat with a white plume. A well-dressed crowd is gathered around the procession, wearing colorful dresses and suits in shades of pink, teal, blue, and purple. They look towards the figures on horseback, and many of them clap. Among the people in the crowd and those on horseback, there is a wide variety of skin tones, including dark brown, light brown, tan, and pale pink. Beyond the arched openings, a long road lined with small, colorful buildings in shades of pink, yellow, and brown is visible under a blue sky.

Article:  10 Haitian Artists to Know

Meet the country’s leading painters who developed their own style of modern art.

Events

You may also like

A rooster woodcarving and a wooden rocking horse.

Exhibition:  Women and the Index of American Design

The image depicts a seated woman in a half-body portrait within an ornate gold-colored border. She is sitting upright with her hands in lace gloves in front of her. The woman has a composed expression, short hair, and wears a dark dress with lace details. The background is plain, emphasizing the details of her attire and the frame. No jewelry is visible.

Exhibition:  Remember Me