Hector Hyppolite (Haitian,1894-1948)


Hector Hyppolite, born in Haiti on September 16, 1894, is celebrated as one of the greatest and most influential artists in Haitian history. Although he did not begin painting seriously until later in life, by the time of his death in 1948 he was internationally recognized as Haiti’s foremost painter and a master of the naïve art tradition. In 1946, Surrealist icons André Breton and Wifredo Lam purchased his work and hailed him as a major artistic revelation. Hyppolite came from a family of Vodou priests, and his art is deeply rooted in Haiti’s spiritual and cultural traditions. Before dedicating himself fully to painting, he worked as a shoemaker, a house painter, and at times served as a Vodou priest. Early in his career, he painted postcards for American marines stationed in Haiti, and his decorative murals in St. Mark eventually drew the attention of DeWitt Peters, founder of the Centre d’Art. With Peters’s encouragement, Hyppolite moved to Port-au-Prince to pursue painting full time. Hyppolite quickly established himself as an extraordinary talent. Using chicken feathers, his fingers, and brushes, he produced an astonishing body of work marked by bold forms, mystical themes, and sophisticated yet intuitive compositions. His remarkable creativity earned global attention, and in 1947 UNESCO exhibited his work in Paris, solidifying his international reputation. His legacy continues to shape Haitian art. In 2008, the Government of Haiti declared June 2008–June 2009 the Year of Hector Hyppolite in recognition of his immense cultural impact. From November 2011 through February 2012, the Musée du Louvre in Paris held a landmark exhibition dedicated to his work and published a major book in his honor. Proceeds from the publication were earmarked for the restoration of the Musée d’Art Haïtien du Collège St. Pierre in Port-au-Prince. Hyppolite died in 1948 at the height of his fame, leaving behind a powerful artistic legacy that inspired generations of Haitian painters and established him as the patriarch of modern Haitian art. Please scroll down to browse his art!