Chavannes, Etienne: Marché Pastoral
23in. x 31.25in.
acrylic on canvas
HGH comments: It is said that there are over a thousand naive painters in Haiti, of which a mere ten deserve the attention they receive and are offered by serious art dealers. Etienne Chavannes is one of them and “Marché Pastoral” is a fine example of his ability and talent. An untrained eye could label Chavannes’ work as folk art as this style of Haitian art has become so recognized and commercial, however his talent will override such a labeling and will shine through.
I think that in that there is a similarity between Chavannes and Tremblot who are responsible for so much inspired naive work. Both styles are flabbergastingly similar: both are fascinated by the effect of trees and both are masters of their performance. In the case of Chavannes we know that he belongs to the valuable minority of singularly outstanding “reporters”.