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Peintres haïtiens, written by Gerald Alexis is one of the most extensive and complete books ever written about Haitian art. Mr. Alexis, who is considered to be a specialist in Caribbean and Latino-American art and an internationally acclaimed authority on the art of Haiti, has put together an absolute treasure of text and photos. With over 300 vivid colorful reproductions it is a beautifully orchestrated manuscript. Mr. Alexis combines gorgeous photos of the art with an exhaustive narrative explaining how the art is so closely related to the people, the history and the culture. He infuses this with photos of the artists, notes, and an extensive bibliography, which results in probably the most complete reference book ever written on Haitian art!

In his introduction, Mr. Alexis, tactfully disputes the "Miracle of 1944" theory which holds that art took hold in Haiti only after DeWitt Peters, an American painter "discovered" the talents of the Haitian artists. Alexis does however credit Mr. Peters for his initiatives during 1944 that "helped Haitian painters regain the reputation enjoyed by the Haitian masters of the 19th century." His perspective on this issue is quite interesting especially to those who have read other books on the subject.

Mr. Alexis separates the art into four major categories: Portrait and Historical Paintings, Nature and Daily Life, Voodoo, Rhythm and Structure, and Figuration-Abstraction. Each section has a narrative on the various authors and their styles as well as examples of their work.

Aside from being informative, beautiful and well researched this book is also delightful to read! Even people who have studied Haitian art for years will find new bits of information about people and events. The reader is treated to an unpublished poem; Hector Hyppolite is dead, to rare photographs and even to a letter from Philome Obin to Dewitt Peters (dated 1956)!

This book is a must read, must have for all! Enjoy the works of Castera Bazile, Wilson Bigaud, Manes Descollines, Tamara Baussan, Prefete Duffaut, Claude Dambreville, Gerard Fortune, Alexandre Gregoire, Jasmin Joseph, Andre Pierre, Hector Hyppolite, Carlo Jean-Jacques, Michele Manuel, Luckner Lazard, Bernard Sejourne, and many, many more. Enjoy the thought provoking text that Gerald Alexis offers and the visual gem he has produced.

In his introduction, Mr. Alexis, tactfully disputes the "Miracle of 1944" theory which holds that art took hold in Haiti only after DeWitt Peters, an American painter "discovered" the talents of the Haitian artists. Alexis does however credit Mr. Peters for his initiatives during 1944 that "helped Haitian painters regain the reputation enjoyed by the Haitian masters of the 19th century." His perspective on this issue is quite interesting especially to those who have read other books on the subject.

Mr. Alexis separates the art into four major categories: Portrait and Historical Paintings, Nature and Daily Life, Voodoo, Rhythm and Structure, and Figuration-Abstraction. Each section has a narrative on the various authors and their styles as well as examples of their work.

Aside from being informative, beautiful and well researched this book is also delightful to read! Even people who have studied Haitian art for years will find new bits of information about people and events. The reader is treated to an unpublished poem; Hector Hyppolite is dead, to rare photographs and even to a letter from Philome Obin to Dewitt Peters (dated 1956)!

This book is a must read, must have for all! Enjoy the works of Castera Bazile, Wilson Bigaud, Manes Descollines, Tamara Baussan, Prefete Duffaut, Claude Dambreville, Gerard Fortune, Alexandre Gregoire, Jasmin Joseph, Andre Pierre, Hector Hyppolite, Carlo Jean-Jacques, Michele Manuel, Luckner Lazard, Bernard Sejourne, and many, many more. Enjoy the thought provoking text that Gerald Alexis offers and the visual gem he has produced.

This is a collaborative effort by four artists to showcase the works of 30 to 40 Haitian artists living in America.

Unlike other art books that are written as academic studies or as show catalogs, this book is written by the artists. They selected the paintings and wrote their own histories. The paintings are truly wonderful. They encompass many different styles and exemplify the range of talent that is is called Haitian art. But the really special parts of the book are the comments by the artists that accompany their work. The warmth and poetry that they display with their brush is matched by the poetry of their words. This book is a real tribute to the contribution of the Haitian people to the world of art.

"Our Artists are extremely important to our culture both in Haiti and in America. The artists living in Haiti paint what they see, and wish for. The artists living in America paint what they remember in addition to what they long for. They paint from their heart and soul to show us the beauty, form and color of a very distinctive art form that makes us feel intense and real emotions."

Denis R. Dambreville
Architect, Art Curator

This new book is a limited edition, signed and numbered and in very short supply!
Don't wait too long to order. We don't expect this first printing to last too long!