Skippings Fine Arts has dated this piece to the 1960s.
Born into a poor family, Wilson Bigaud was part of the first generation of young men to
Bigaud rapidly established a reputation as an artist of outstanding talent, hailed as the
‘Raphael’ of Haitian painting because of the limpid beauty of his work, in which he
combined lush detail with clarity of design. When he was only 21, he became the first
Haitian to have a picture accepted for the Carnegie International Exhibition, and won the
second prize for his Earthly Paradise (1952, Musée d'Art Haitien, Port-au-Prince).
His painting “Murder in the Jungle” was subsequently purchased for the permanent
collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Bigaud was one of the handful of
artists chosen to execute the landmark murals in the Episcopal Cathedral of Sainte Trinité,
which were destroyed in the January 12 earthquake.
The mural (final photo of the listing for reference) depicted once again a Terrestrial Paradise, a subject close to the artist's heart. Bigaud would continue to paint versions on the theme in the 1960s, revisiting elements from the mural, and the painting presented here is part of this series.
Measuring 75 x 100 cm an signed at the lower right, our oil or acrylic on hardboard/masonite is a major work, with stunning colours, a gorgeous composition, and hidden delights. Several inventory numbers to verso. The overall framed size is 90 x 117 cm.
Skippings Fine Arts has dated this piece to the 1960s.
Modern french & continental pictures selected by a former french auction house expert
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Skippings Fine Arts Profile Page
Masterpiece: The Garden of Eden, Huge Sumptuous Colourful Exuberant Paradise by Haitian Master Wilson Bigaud
