Rigaud Benoit

Rigaud Benoit
Born	(1911-01-11)January 11, 1911 Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Died	October 30, 1986(1986-10-30) (aged 75) Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Known for	Painting, murals, ceramics
Notable work	The Nativity (mural, Cathédrale de Sainte Trinité)
Style	Naïve art, Surrealism
Movement	Haitian art
Spouse	Hermithe Hyypolite
Awards	2008 USA Fellows, 2009 Rome Prize
Memorials	Benoit crater on Mercury

Rigaud Benoit (1911–1986) was a prominent Haitian painter and member of the Haitian art movement. He was one of Haiti's foremost painters of Naive art. His artwork is among the most valued and sought after in the Haitian art market.

Early life

A native of Port-au-Prince, Benoit had been a shoemaker, musician, taxi driver and chauffeur before making his living as a painter. He also supplemented his income by painting pottery pieces that he rarely signed or acknowledged.

Career

He joined the Centre d'Art in 1944. He was inspired by the works of Dewitt Peters, Georges Remponeau, and Luckner Lazare.

Reportedly, after seeing works displayed at the Centre d'Art, he decided he could do as well as any of the featured artists. Later in life, Benoit denied this, insisting that he had visited the Centre out of curiosity before submitting his first works to Peters.

Benoit was an early member of the Haitian art movement known as Naive Art, so-called because of its members' limited formal training. The movement was first recognized and promoted by the Centre d'Art, founded in 1944 by the American Quaker and World War II conscientious objector Dewitt Peters.

Benoit's paintings became highly sought after. By the early 1950s, Benoit was one of a handful of artists asked to decorate the interior of the Cathedral of Sainte Trinité. He was commissioned to paint the mural, Nativity above the high altar. The Catholic archbishop initially denied permission for "mere Haitians" to decorate the Roman cathedral. However, the Episcopal bishop eagerly consented to the project. On seeing the result he reportedly exclaimed "Thank God! They painted Haitians." The cathedral and most of its many masterpieces were destroyed in the January 2010 earthquake.

Benoit worked slowly, usually completing fewer than half-a-dozen pieces a year. Following a near-fatal automobile accident early in 1980, his production declined further. However, he continued to produce scenes of Haitian life and narrative scenes until his death.

Style

Benoit's work is characterized by precise draftsmanship. In comparison to most Haitian artists outside the Northern or Cap-Haïtien school, he used muted colors. His narrative paintings often have a sense of humor. Some of Benoit's later work was surrealistic. His surrealist paintings mostly depict voodoo scenes or deities, such as Lwa.

Honors

In 2009, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) named the Benoit crater on the planet Mercury in his honour.

Personal life

Benoit owned a cottage on the outskirts of the Haitian capital. Benoit had four children, two of whom were adopted, with Hermithe Hyppolite. Hermithe was the daughter of Benoit's friend and artistic contemporary, Hector Hyppolite. Three of his children, Yves Lafontant, Jacques Dorce, and Fils Rigaud Benoit, also became artists.

Further reading

• "A History of Haïtian Art: Rigaud Benoit". Arts Haïtian. Retrieved 23 April 2026.

• "Ned Hopkins's Collection of Haitian Art: Rigaud Benoit". Haitian Art Hopkins. Retrieved 23 April 2026.

• Schutt-Ainé, Patricia; Staff of Librairie Au Service de la Culture (1994). Haiti: A Basic Reference Book. Miami, Florida: Librairie Au Service de la Culture. p. 108. ISBN 0-9638599-0-0.

• "Rigaud Benoit MoMA". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 2026-04-23.