24517: jheusel: (ask) 19th century Haitian Paintings (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: jheusel@indiana.edu

I am a graduate student researching four paintings that are described as being
from 19th-century Haiti. The paintings can be viewed at this website: http://
mypage.iu.edu/~jheusel/haitianpaintings.html

They are all oil on canvas, but were re-stretched by the collector, Morton C.
Bradley, who was also a conservator in the 1940s and 1950s. Unfortunately, he
removed all information that may have been useful and placed a metal board
between the canvas and stretcher frame. It is unclear where he acquired these
particular paintings, but it is known that most of his pieces were purchased at
estate sales in New England. They share similar stylistic qualities such as
extremely fine details, careful craftsmanship (especially the faces),
difficulty in rendering hands and feet, and plain oval bordering (even though
they are medium size).

I believe the clothing and the seascape will clarify dates such as pre-
revolution or post-revolution. For example, the seascape is a lumberyard with
three flags in the distance, a French, U.S. and Spanish. Four other white flags
with red lettering are also shown. It seems that the flags are communicating
both territorial and common-area compounds along the shore. The title given or
at least documented by the collector is “Port-au-Prince.” I am looking for
references that link the port to large-scale logging production and movement.
Most of the boats in the sea are small three-man vessels also.

The clothing for the women does appear to be showing the fashion of the late
18th to early 19th centuries, which is strengthen by the paintings style and
the women's pose. The curator at the museum insists that all the paintings are
from the 1830s to 1850s. I am curious of the purpose of these portraits? Does
the "lady" represent a status symbol to the patron or absentee landlord? I am
investigating the role of absentee landlords in Haiti during the early 19th
century, which I don't believe there were any after Dessalies but maybe
Christophe invited them back (again doesn't seem likely)?

Finally, the painting titled “The Master's Groom and Horse.” The text on the
top and lower right corners read: Pincrinat or Pinchinat (I know of a Max
Pinchinat but he is from the 1950s); H. ANJAL BERT Instit_ (this could be an
art institute but it is difficult to decipher the letters and where spaces
should apply).  Also, this painting is actually covering up another image
underneath, which appears to be a portrait of a man framed by a fancy curtain
(no oval border). It is unclear whether the lettering belongs to the grooming
painting or to the portrait underneath.

One theory could be that these paintings reflect a period of transition in
Haiti due to both the divisions of Christophe and Pétion as well as their
personal quest for cultural growth. The paintings complicate interpretations
such as time period and style because the artist(s) mix these items visually. I
realize that both leaders are a few decades too early, if I follow the museum's
dates for these paintings, but I know that at least Christophe invited/hired
painters from Europe to work in Haiti. Could they have started a school?

Any information or suggested literature will be helpful. My direct email is
jheusel@indiana.edu