A.Pierre (Haiti, 1915-2005) "Baron Samedi" Painting

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Estate Finds Throughout France and Miami

By Akiba Antiques

Apr 29, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-04-29 12:00:00 2021-04-29 12:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Estate Finds Throughout France and Miami https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/akiba-antiques/estate-finds-throughout-france-and-miami-6795
A curated sale by Mr. Jonathan Akiba with items personally selected from estates in Paris, Archamps, Nice, Marseille, and throughout South Florida. Akiba Antiques info@akibaantiques.com

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• Lot Description
  DESCRIPTION: Andre Pierre (Haiti, 1915-2005) "Baron Samedi" original painting on canvas. Unframed. Unstretched canvas.
  
  Andre Pierre was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti around 1915. At an early age he moved to Croix-des-Missions, on the outskirts of the capital, where he made his living as a farmer. A practitioner of Voodoo since childhood, Pierre met the American filmmaker Maya Deren in the late 1940's. Deren had come to Haiti to make a film on dance, and had become an initiate in the hounfour where Pierre was La Place, second in command. The houmfour was decorated with gourds on which Pierre had painted images of vodou spirits. Deren suggested that he should paint on canvas and offer his paintings to the Centre d'Art, which he did. Shortly afterwards Pierre began a twenty year relationship with the dealer Issa el Saieh, and went early each morning to the capital to paint in the atelier that Issa provided. Eventually he became so renowned, not only for his art but for his personality, that he stopped going to Issa's and painted in the compound where he lived and where he had built his own hounfour. André Pierre was the dominant artist of the second generation, and is considered the spiritual heir to the legendary Hector Hyppolite. Collectors and journalists from all over the world came to visit him in the modest hut where he painted lovingly detailed portraits of the gods of the vodou pantheon by the light of an oil lamp. His mission in life was to present Vodou as respectable, on a par with all the other major religions. His pronouncements on Vodou, and on life in general, were wise and sophisticated and were often punctuated with his trademark subterranean chuckle. By 2004 he was almost totally blind and had stopped painting altogether. He passed away on October 4, 2005.
  
  Baron Samedi, also written Baron Samedi, Bawon Samedi or Bawon Samedi, is one of the loa of Haitian Vodou. Samedi is a loa of the dead, along with Baron's numerous other incarnations Baron Cimetière, Baron La Croix and Baron Kriminel. He is syncretized with Saint Martin de Porres. As well as being the master of the dead, Baron Samedi is also a giver of life. He can cure mortals of any disease or wound, so long as he thinks it is worthwhile. His powers are especially great when it comes to Voodoo curses and black magic. Even if somebody has been afflicted by a hex that brings them to the verge of death, they will not die if the Baron refuses to dig their grave. So long as the Baron keeps them out of the ground, they are safe. He also ensures that all corpses rot in the ground to stop any soul from being brought back as a zombie. What he demands in return depends on his mood. Sometimes he is content with his followers wearing black, white or purple clothes or using sacred objects; he may simply ask for a small gift of cigars, rum, black coffee, grilled peanuts, or bread. But sometimes the Baron requires a Vodou ceremony to help him cross over into this world.
  
  CIRCA: 20th Century.
  ORIGIN: Haiti.
  DIMENSIONS: W: 22 " H: 24".
  CONDITION: Good condition. Unstretched canvas. See lot description for details on item condition. More detailed condition requests can be obtained via email (info@akibaantiques.com) or SMS 305-332-9274. Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Akiba Antiques shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.
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