We are living historic times and difficult ones for the country , when I started this painting I wanted to put a positive note out there in the world, my inspiration came from the passage of the bible the multiplication of bread when Jesus saw the crowd following him and showed the world he could feed them with 3 bread and 2 fish. In the Caribbean, the cook banana or plantain is the day to day bread people use to feed their families this is the reason I chose the banana for this painting and as I was born in the island of Haiti then, of course, the fish and the conch were a symbol of this island life.
What we are leaving now reminds me of biblical times, should we do as when Moises said to all stay home and mark their houses with the blood of the lamb? One thing I know for sure is that I am staying home! the good part about that is that I have more time to create and bring art to life: I am birthing concepts through my paintings, showing the bright side of the road looking for the silver lining of the cloud.
Those art pieces are inspired by the abstract work of my professor Roland, what would he say? I can see him reflecting pensively standing on the side of my easel, then he would take the palette and brushes and with a quick move correct the lighting and the depth of the painting. I wish I knew how fortunate I was then in my impeccable world protected and nurtured to be in the presence of this humble but great professor. Then he would smile and with sadness, in his eyes, he would go back to his observing post where he watched over me like an eagle with a piercing look.
I remember when I first met him what struck me the most was the way he looked at you, it was a very intense look that I was not accustomed too, I questioned him as too why he was fixing me with such intensity. I am a painter he answered to me I do not just look at something I am measuring the light, the dark the distance the colors, I am sorry I do not mean to make you feel uncomfortable. With time I learned to look at things like he did, to a point that my daughter told me the other day I should stop scrutinizing her, whereas I was merely painting a portrait of her in my mind.
This water color from Roland Dorcely is dated 1957 and is 9″ by 12″.
Is there some Fernand Leger influence in the painting/ I remember him mentioning his time mingling and learning from the artist while in Paris.
I have been approached by a personality all the way from the mother land to represent him through my art consulting company in an art Deal involving African artifacts. Even though my main focus is on my paintings and books I do occasionally agree to such representation, what I do not do is represent other artists, my main focus is on my professor Roland Dorcely and how his work inspires mine.
Roland Dorcély Lumière bleue, 1958 Tempera on Masonite, 52 x 72 NSU Fort Lauderdale Florida
I am in awe of the talent of Master Dorcely, another strong art piece, he was truly unique. I will ask the director of the NSU Museum the fabulous Bonnie Clearwater when this painting will be showcased at the Museum. Bonnie is an extraordinary woman when she took over the Museum of Contemporary art in North Miami it was far from what it is now today. She is a tremendous influence in the art scene in Miami, she was instrumental in bringing Art Basel to the Magic City and I still remember the fabulous Vanity fair Parties at the Museum! Bonnie is a Medievalist extraordinary professional, and generous with her knowledge and her mentorship, she graciously helped with the Haitian Historical Museum and Archive that I cofounded in 2011, I was modeling my modest Museum to hers she had a fabulous program for the youth where school kids got to work with famous artist and photographers, I enrolled my daughter in one of her photography classes, the quality of the classes and the caliber of artists she got to meet was amazing.
The Nude painting titled Lumiere bleu is a modern composition very different from the subject matter he preferred back he was my professor. I had not seen anything similar to that at the studio, the only nudes he had were from the Titiano that he had reproduced for us students. When I think of all the detailing he put in my portrait back in the 80’s I feel really humbled to have had him paint it. He never let me see the painting until its completion, I tried tricking him into coming behind him and see it but he was kind but firm in protecting his work until the end. I was not to distract him with my remarks, it was his interpretation of me and I would not dare to contradict him, too aware I was of the honor it was for me to have him paint my likeness.
Oh he made sure knowing my puritan education that not an inch of skin was showing under the lace dress that went up to my neck in a victorian style. When the day finally came my heart was pounding when I was allowed to see what he finally had been hiding from me in my presence. The end product was perfect, and I could not be happier.
time had gone by I was still paying for the portrait monthly so I could not take it home. I met the man that would become my husband. He was fond of art himself, having worked in Nigeria in the city of Maiduguri and told me he had a collection of antique Bronz statutes dating from the 12 century. I would later find out when I finally saw hem in our apartment in Hannover in Germany that he had sculptures of the famous Queen Idia, a heroic woman that successfully fought and kept at bay the British by beating several armies sent against her. Of course, he was speaking to my heart when he told me an artist that he had such a collection. When we got engaged, he insisted on paying for the remaining amount of the cost of the painting as my wedding present. I should have bought a couple of his paintings as well to take with me to Hannover. I regret this to this day.
The Boca Raton Museum is well situated to organize a retrospective of Roland Dorcely’s artwork. This painting bright in colors and of an interesting composition takes us back to the country with a “je ne sais quoi” a poetic feeling to it. Could it be the moon in the background dominating the scene? Why combine the moon and the rooster? So many questions I would have liked to ask the painter. He always had an answer to my many questions, our classes were always the highlight of my week, we talked about art but we talked about everything and his wife Nicole often took part in the conversations.
This time in the gallery/studio /Museum in the ’80s inspired me when the Haitian Museum opened in North Miami in 2009, the purpose was to offer a space where artists of Haitian descent could thrive in the vicinity of the MOCA Museum in Miami and an art exhibit was held around Art Basel showcasing local artists.
It is the same spirit that guided me when I participated in the project for General Georges Biassou in St Augustine Fl. Showcased in the next picture is the artwork I did to showcase the City commission an idea of the Monument concept and how it would embellish the empty park near the welcome center.
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We had managed to get an official historic marker of the city of St. Augustine approved and one of my paintings of General Biassou adorns it.
My children shown in the picture have always been and are always the inspiration for my work. Let the children know their history, how will they know if you do not tell them what their ancestors did for this country. Especially now when we are confronted with the murdering of innocent people because of the color of their skin, it is important that they know that the first black general in the North American Continent was not Colin Powell but George Biassou, He lived in a gorgeous mansion for his time second next to the Governor of Florida in his pay and rank, the Governor received 5,000 pesos and him 4,000, I saw his payslip at the archives in St. Augustine. If we must use the art for something good it is to remind everyone who we are and what good we contributed too and are still contributing to this continent today.
Why did I start with “le coq et la Lune” by Dorcely and end with George Biassou or in French” Sautez du coq a l’ane” it is because reflecting on the path chosen I realize that there was a reason why next to the law study I chose art with Master Dorcely, it is part of my life purpose, to witness greatness and to showcase this greatness.
Another great work of Dorcely the composition, the bright colors gave him the reputation as a painter that was “Haut en couleur” in the French art world meaning, very colorful.
By the time I had met him he painted in very neutral tones, The portrait he painted of me was very subtle actually, with a minimalistic background my right hand leaning on a table, I found a picture of the painting in the background, with my son and me around Christmas time in our Herzog Park apartment in Munich, it only shows part of the painting. I, unfortunately, left the painting in Munich when I moved to Miami in 2002 and am still looking everywhere for this artwork in my old photos, it was painted on a wood surface and he used a matt varnish for the portrait.
This painting was purchased by one of his collectors and is now part of the New York Modern Art Museum collection, The chair is a recurring actor in his composition. The title is quite puzzling: “When to relax”
I really love the colors, it is a dramatic piece, in its colors and contrast, the woman hides her face behind her hand, I wonder what Dorcely was thinking when he painted this nude scene.
Master Dorcely is not there anymore to guide my artistic evolution, I will have to just like I did with my first painting of Rubens learn from the master in this case himself. One of the painters that where with him at the same time in Paris, Wilfredo Lam has already attain the recognition he deserves, it is but a matter of time until Dorcely’s paintings reach the same and even exceed many other artists. If you have a Dorcely painting at your home I would advise that you hold on tight to it!!!
Master Roland Dorcely died in 2017, I only found out about it last year, a writer that knew I was his student contacted me to find out information about him as his former student, because she was preparing articles for upcoming exhibits of his artwork. I knew he was older now but I did not expect him to die so soon, some people have longevity in their families and he could have lived longer had he gotten the recognition that he deserved. I exchanged emails with the writer and she promised to keep me posted on upcoming published work she was working on. Dorcely had an exhibit in Paris organized by former Haitian President Michele Pierre Louis’s organization Fokal , 
and this fall another one in New York. Even though his work has been in several Museums in the United States, the MOCA in New York, the Boca Raton Museum of Art and in private collections, it was his first exhibit in the United States.
I asked
I got married in July 1989 my son was born July of the following year 1990, my first art exhibit did not happen until 3 years after my son was born. My friend Nathalie had been in law school with me and was studying in Sorbonne Paris, we had both planned to go to Paris together after ou Master and enroll in the Sorbone University for our doctorate. I had met my husband and change my plans and got married after graduating, but she had followed hers and was planning to take the train from Paris and visit me in Hannover. She spent a week with me and introduced me over the phone to her cousin Gladys who lived in Munich that she was going to visit for 2 weeks. Gladys had a collection of paintings that Aubelin Joliceur the famous journalist that also owned a gallery near Hotel Olofson in Port-au-Prince had given her to sell for him in Europe. She convinced me that Munich would be the best place for me to showcase my art.
My husband’s company relocated him to Munich and we moved there. I went to the French Institut in Munich located near the English Garden. It was a grandiose villa in a prominent area of the city and the director of the institut Mr. Deschamps was very pleased to meet me, his best friend he said was a priest that had worked in Haiti and had told him the nicest things about the land and the people. Haiti was a former French colony and because of the Francophonie we had strong ties to French culture, he told me that Haitian art was world knowned and he had a great program for the upcoming spring, Michel Picoli was coming to play a theater play at the Kammerspiele the famous theater in Munich and I would fit great in the program.
My art career was launched, I exhibited later at the Petit Palais in Paris, Palais des expositions in Avignon, the airport in Munich moved to the states, authored and illustrated children books, cofounded an art Museum, found gallerists to represent my work while I went on to become a financial advisor with one Fortune 100 company in the United States. I am blessed to have been the student of such a great professor and a wonderful man.
My first art piece with Master Dorcely was a landscape by Rubens, I would come in the studio and we would first have a discussion about the artist I was studying at the time, so he could verify how far I was in my studies of the pile of books he had given me. For the landscape of Rubens Master Dorcely selected a wooden surface of about 50 by 30 inches and we would use oil-based paints, most of Dorcely’s paintings were painted on wood, he liked the fine surface of this material more than canvases of linen and cotton. He also gave me work to do at home, I was to do two portraits of Rubens children, next to my law studies, literature about Rubens and his children’s portraits, I had little time to myself, but I did not mind.
One day I arrived earlier and he was still working on a portrait, I sighed looking at the beautiful painting and said, I wish I could afford to have you paint my portrait as well. Oh! he said I would love to paint a portrait for you and no worries about the price we will make and arrangement you will pay me monthly. This day I left the class overjoyed and excited about the portrait, I knew exactly what dress I would wear for the painting, I had purchased a gracious embroidery dress from an Italian lady called Irma that had a fancy store in Petion Ville, I would let my hair flow on my shoulders and the painting would hang in my law firm. I never thought back then that I would be moving to Europe and the painting would come with me. Once we agreed on the terms of our arrangement I would come earlier with my embroidery dress to pose and Master Dorcely would paint, never letting me see the painting.
The years went by and I met the man I was going to marry, I brought him to the studio to meet Master Dorcely, he had met my previous boyfriend that I also brought to the studio in the past, but he did not comment on that, he enjoyed talking with my Fiancee and they found out that they had a lot of things in common, the love of German Museums in particular, the Pinacotec in Munich, capital of Bavaria where my Fiance was from. I got married at St Pierre Church in Petion Ville, my husband had fetch his mom and several of his relatives for the occasion, they stayed at Montana Hotel, a gorgeous property overlooking the bay of Port-au-Prince that also offered apartments for people like my fiance that lived all year long on the island. We took my mother in law and friends to visit the studio, she was known in her village of Tabert’sHausen for her icon paintings and had even been showcased on tv in the local television, she was starstruck meeting Master Dorcely and my husband being a translator they managed to have a conversation. The wedding day came It was a festive affair, at my parents residence in Musseau Petion Ville, I wore the dress of my sister Janine the 4th physician in the family after my dad considering two of my siblings had followed the path of my father, I was the only one to study law like my paternal grandfather a lawyer famous for an anty corruption lawsuit against the Haitian government, Babette was my Maid of honor and her adorable son carried the ring with an adorable little girl. The honeymoon was in Mexico, my husband a geologist wanted to visit all the pyramids in Mexico and I wanted to see the Murals of Diego Rivera and get a glimpse of Frida Kahlo’s house. when we came back my husband finished paying for the portrait I had started paying it was shipped to Hannover, that was where we were to stay the next five years before moving to Munich.
I arrived in Frankfurt on a gray day in fall, we rented a car and drove to Hannover a city famous for its fairs. What a lovely city it was, I must say that I was quite happy there, the city was quiet and came to life at the fairs that it organized all year long. I lived in the city center not far from the parliament, Hannover being the capital of the state of Niedersachsen. I enquired about what would be done with my law studies in Hannover, but my diploma was aknowledged in France, I would get some credits for it if I wanted to enroll in the German law school that was all. I thanked God for having given me a talent that allowed me to create no matter what part of the world I was, I remember Master Dorcely telling me, I am teaching you a craft that will elevate your life, and earn a living from. The apartment was turned into a studio, we were supposed to be there for a few months and go back to Haiti but the company Preussag Enlagen Bau decided to close the branch in Haiti and my Husband went there just to take care of the formalities.
I got to meet the wives of geologists and we met for coffee and they all were very nice to me, one of my best friends was from Myanmar formerly known as Burma, we would meet at another friend Noy from Thailand and they would have a cookout with 5 to 7 Asian women and as I got pregnant shortly after I got married they spoiled me with goodies, and showed me how to make them too. Hannover came to life in Summer , the nearby Herrenhausen castle held concerts and shows in their french garden modeled after Versailles in France. Master Dorcely had advised me to go see the Madona painting in the Koln Cathedral that was a combination of Rubens and Breugel, a painting that I was working on and donated to the St Clements’s Church near my apartment. St Clement church had mass every day in the afternoon and I was there every day, even taugh I did not understand German yet the liturgical rite is the same in every language and I felt comfort in spirituality when I missed home. The reverend came to speak to me one day to find out that I did not speak a word of German, with the little English he spoke he managed to find out that I was new in the country and did not know anyone except for my Asian friends, that my husband had to travel often abroad and that I occupy my time with painting and going to church. He took me in great sympathy and told me to enroll at the parish young mother group, they organised play groups for mothers so that children could meet up once a week, socialise and share tips.
My gynecologist Dr. Leske was very nice he was referred to me by the pharmacist around the corner of my house she was a very nice lady about to be a grandma and she referred me to Dr. Leske her daughter’s doctor. I was working on my first exhibit in Hannover, I was missing my island and painting gingerbread houses and Carribbean landscapes. I went to the French Institut in Hannover to negotiate an art exhibit but shortly after the birth of my son and adjusting to motherhood, art was the last thing on my mind, but I did make humming bird paintings for my Gynecologist after my son was born.
In Hannover I became friends with a Jamaican lady from Montego Bay, she worked in a shic boutique in Downtown Hannover, her husband a producer got my son in his first commercial on the big screen for Hapag Loyd a German travel company. One day visiting her boutique I saw across from the popular market place downtown Hannover a gallery featuring works by Botero, I was really impressed by the artist, Master Dorcely had told me that Botero had been to Haiti and he had met him in the golden years of the art scene in Haiti, when Jacky Onasis and the golden scene of Hollywood elected Port-au-Pince as their port of predilection. Aubelin Jolicoeur the famous journalist featured in the movie “The comedians” with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor wrote extensively about the lifestyle at the time in the Nouvelist the main paper in the island.
Roland Dorcely Mural at the Ibo Lele Hotel in Petion Ville destroyed by the earthquake in 2010
Flash Forward from Master Dorcely’s studio in the 80’s to April 2020 amid covid19 pandemic, that forces us to stay home and reflect on the important things in life next to our day to day breadwinning activities; It is not that I did not think of Master Dorcely and the academic art classes in his studio, I considered myself very fortunate to have studied at his studio, He had been trained after the second world war at the Academy des Beaux Arts in Paris and was to open such institutions in parts of the world that were not so privileged to be next to the Louvre Museum. In Port-au Prince back then being accepted at his studio was grand in itself, I was very aware that I was benefiting from the same classes that he had received in Paris at the Academy, and 4 years of studying with him were similar has having studied at the Academy des Beaux Arts in Paris. Because we could not go to the Louvre to see the originals of famous classical paintings, he recreated the Louvre in his studio for his students: He was such a perfectionist, the books he said do not give justice to the colors of those paintings: look at this blue in the book he said this is not the appropriate rendition of the painting that I have seen, I had to paint them for my students to understand, to envision the real artwork. He had painted the Mona Lisa from Davinci, views of Venice from Canaletto, nudes from Tiziano. Velazquez and Rembrandt as well as Albrecht Durer, Vermeer from Delphi and Bruegel the old and the young. Next to those, still, life paintings hung, he had enormous orchid bouquets in Christal pots, I knew exactly who had commissioned them a dear family friend had her house full of his orchids, she could not get enough of them, I had seen them when I visited her, I believed she had a bigger house built just to put more of his paintings, she had a little Dorcely Museum of her own and was very proud of it, inviting her friends to discover her latest acquisition. He also excelled in beautiful Gingerbread houses from Petion Ville and Bois Verna with the intricate wood decoration like embroidery hanging on the balconies, windows, and porches wrapped around the houses. He was a great portraitist and had several pieces commissioned by the fine ladies of the town. He told me one day that he had been sent to Guinee Conakry by the French government to open an Art Institut, but he found himself in enemy territory or so he told me because the conservative people of the country opposed to his teaching students with art books covered with nude paintings from the dawn of art history up to the renaissance period and beyond, so he returned to France.
As a young promising artist, he was a student of Fernand Leger and knew the great Picasso himself, He had a good roaster of collectors, he was generous enough to give me their names when after finishing law school while I studied with him I married and moved to Germany with my husband, and told me to please contact them and tell them I was his student. When I met him, his studio was in Petion Ville near the Villa Creole Hotel, where one of his murals covered the wall of the Lobby. Not far from that was El Rancho Hotel and across the street was Red Carpet Gallery, I still remember, the area was ideal for an artist, gallerist would come and buy his art and stay in the near by hotels but he shared with me after a few classes that he was looking for a bigger studio. My uncle, may he rest in peace, had inherited from my aunt Emilie a lovely house that he did not quite know what to do with and it was actually empty, it was located in Petion Ville behind the Church St Pierre. We went and visited the property with Nicole and him and they both loved it, it was decided that the next classes would be held there and I was overjoyed because I had solved the problem of both my favorite uncle and my favorite professor.
alexandrabarbot 