Joseph, Casimir (1941–   )


30. 'Diego Rivera recoit Toussaint L'Overture…'
c1974 (16x12)

   A student of Philomé Obin, Casimir began painting in the late 1950s. He soon despaired of making a living from his art and moved into a variety of jobs — for a time he ran a beauty parlor — painting little and only in his spare time.
    In 1974 the fine sculptor Ludovic Booz encouraged Casimir to return to his art full–time. He's focused on small, exquisitely detailed works ever since, beginning with historical scenes — like this one — that carried on Philomé's tradition, though in much more vivid colors. Later he moved to 'semi–fantastique' tableaux.
   Diego Rivera, a Dominican national hero, was the first 'international' leader to recognize the independence of the ex–slaves' nation. Haïti responded, a few years later, by invading and occupying its neighbor — and freeing the colony's relatively small slave population.

     Joseph, Gracia (   –   )


175. 'Tin Roofs'
c1999 (8x24)

    According Galerie Metisse, Joseph was born in the Artibonite, is a Roman Catholic priest, and began submitting works to the Centre d'Art as early as 1977. He's said to be self–taught; his delicate stroke and muted colors certainly have little in common with the Artibonite school. Gracia Joseph is listed and illustrated in Eva Pataki's book (see Reading).

     Joseph, Jasmin* (1923–   )


116. 'La Indienne'
c1988 (39x13)
137. Stag and Zebra_
c1992 (40x20)
153. Bear with Backpack
c1995 (47x17)		    Jasmin Joseph is the leading allegorist among Haitian painters.
   Born in Grande Riviére du Nord, Joseph went to the Centre d' Art in 1945 as a sculptor. By 1950 Dewitt Peters had persuaded him to focus on painting. He soon added two murals to the famous group in the Episcopal Cathedral.
   A lay preacher, the militantly Protestant Joseph often infuses his paintings with a moralistic meaning, though no Christian themes are evident in these three. His works are much prized by Haitian art collectors. He is fun and more: he is among the finest of Haitian artists.

     Joseph, Roland (   –   )


86. Ville fantastique
c1985 (16x12)

   Nothing known; just liked it.
   So far as I know, no one has called Roland Joseph 'the new Hyppolite,' though the thought occurred to me as I bought this work.

           

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