Vintage Haitian Painting - "The Hanging Tree" by Laurent Casimir, Sr.

1969 - acrylic or oil?- not sure - on mason board in wooden frame - unframed 24" x 16" - framed 28 1/2" x 20 3/4" - signed.

Laurent was born at L’Anse-a-Veau, Haiti in 1928 and died in 1990. He moved to Port-au-Prince in the late 1940’s and started painting under the direction of Dieudonne Cedor who introduced him to the Centre d’Art in 1947. In 1950, he defected to the Foyer des Artes Plastiques that had been recently founded by a group of intellectuals and modern artists, Cedor included.

Casimir is one of the most popular Haitian primitive painters. He was the originator of the Haitian archetype, the market painting, filled with people dressed in his trademark colors of orange, yellow and red. Upon visiting him at his house in Martissant in the mid-70's, you were likely to find Casimir holding court and selling paintings in the front room, while in the back yard, a few apprentices were painting in the colors on canvases that the master had drawn, awaiting his signature. He is one of the most forged painters in history - some think this has worked to his detriment or this could make him more popular depending on your point of view. This painting is from the late 60's before he started producing his forgeries.