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Hector Hyppolite, Haitian Artist born

Hector Hyppolite

*Hector Hyppolite was born on this date 1894. He was a Black Haitian painter.

From St. Marc, Haiti Hyppolite was educated as an apprentice shoemaker. He also worked as a cobbler, house-painter, furniture decorator, shipbuilder, and Innkeeper. A decisive figure in modern Haitian art, Hyppolite is generally considered to be the most important of the untrained painters in the mid-twentieth century of his country.  Details of his life are sparse but Hyppolite was known as a Houngan or Voodoo Priest. During a five-year sojourn to Africa, Hyppolite's connection to the home of his ancestors was central to his artistic expression. In the early 1940’s he began painting with an association with Le Centre d’ Art in Port-au-Prince.

What followed was a brief but prolific period of creation that lasted until his death. The subjects of his work range from Christian themes, still life, and voodoo imagery. During the final years of his creative times, Hyppolite’s paintings attracted international attention including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. A legend in his country, Hyppolite was known for his aesthetically complex yet highly intuitive paintings.

A prolific painter typically depicted Vodou scenes and created between 250 and 600 paintings during the last three years of his life.  Much of his work was influenced by his devotion to his work as a priest. However, after retiring from his work as a houngan, his work reflected the darker aspects of Haitian voodoo.  He died at about age 54 in Port-au-Prince.

To be an Artist