"A Boy and a Radio" by Wilson Bigaud- Naive Haitian Art - 30 in x 24 in - Framed

A Boy and a Radio by Wilson Bigaud Circa 1980s - 1990s 30 inches x 24 inches, Acrylic on Canvas, Framed. Condition: Excellent in a rustic, hand-carved, Haitian wood frame. In this rural scene, the river is the social hub of the village. More than a dozen people bathe, wash laundry, fetch water, or just pass by while--oblivious to it all--a boy in the foreground stares at a portable radio. (Following his early success as an artist, Bigaud became an obsessive collector of radios and hi-fi equipment, even though his home did not have electricity.) In most of Bigaud's work, 'normal' perspective was employed when rendering people's relative sizes. However, in his painting, the three bathers in the middle are larger than the people in the foreground. Based on the style of the buildings, trees, and people--and the artist's signature on a white banner background--we estimate that this painting was created in the 1980s or 1990s. Provenance: Jonathan Demme Collection Wilson Bigaud was born 29 Jan 1931 in Port-au-Prince. Considered a First Generation Haitian Master, he was a member of the artist group founded by Hector Hyppolite. Bigaud first worked with clay before becoming a painter. At the International Exhibit in Washington, D.C., in 1950, Bigaud won second place for a painting entitled "Paradise," which was subsequently purchased for the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He also painted a mural in the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Port-au-Prince which depicted the Marriage at Cana. In 1957 Bigaud sank into a deep depression and did not paint again until 1962. Some say that he never regained his early brilliance but there are few artists in Haiti or anywhere else who were as able to communicate the subtleties of their culture with brush on canvas. Wilson Bigaud died 22 Mar 2010. [Biographic notes from Galerie Macondo.] iArtX - The Internet Art Exchange is proud to offer a curated selection of Haitian Art, along with Naive Art from other countries. You won't find schlocky tourist art in our listings. We have been collecting art for over forty years, and every painting we offer currently hangs in our home. Each was deliberately chosen, with a primary consideration being a desire to live with the piece, to revisit and reconsider it almost every day. See the Collection Notes on our website for more details on how we select art for purchase. Unfortunately, wall space in our home is limited. That's where selling from our collection comes in: While each sale forces us to part with a painting we love, it also offers the opportunity to adopt another. We're happy to answer questions and provide additional images. We pack well and ship promptly upon clearance of payment. Satisfaction guaranteed with returns accepted for any reason. Avoid fakes! Sadly, they're out there. But forearmed with a bit of knowledge, you should be able to recognize them: Study other works by the artist you're interested in. (We provide links in our listings to help you do that.) Paintings by other hands will lack the artist's typical precision and detail. If they aren't provided in the listing, ask for high-quality images that show the detail sharply. Don't buy the signature; buy the content. A signature is easy to fake; a good painting isn't. Also, beware of so-called early works (or any other works) that don't look like other pieces by the artist. Beware of dealers who don't respond civilly to questions about provenance and authenticity, or who don't accept returns. Knowledge is power!