Description:

Fernand Pierre (Haitian, 1919-2002) and Adam Leontus (Haitian, 1928-1986), "Gingerbread Houses" and "Birds in the Jungle", oil on double-sided four-panel wood screen, signed right and left respectively, overall 72 in. x 79 in. Note: Dr. Robert Gross was intensely interested in using his skills to make a difference in developing countries, particularly Haiti. He first visited the Caribbean country in the 1950s, when he heard that women were suffering from cervical cancer at higher than normal rates; he wanted to help treat, cure and educate wherever possible. Through his work, Dr. Gross met Dr. Yvonne Sylvain, the first female physician in Haiti, who was already well-known for her work with Haitian women, both in the medical field and the women's suffrage movement. Dr. Gross mentored Dr. Sylvain in handling some of the more prevalent disease presentations in Haiti based on his training in the United States, and he developed a deep respect for the country throughout the course of his time there. Dr. Gross continued to visit Haiti throughout the 1950s and 60s and also became a close friend of Issa El Saieh, who was a seminal figure in the Haitian cultural scene. During the 1940s and 1950s, El Saieh led a big band that created a new school in Haitian music. The band played a mixture of Haitian, jazz and Afro-Cuban music, and they produced a number of records on his own label, La Belle Créole. El Saieh subsequently dedicated himself to supporting and fostering Haitian art and founded his namesake gallery. The El Saieh Gallery became a formative place for the local talent to exhibit a powerful school of painting. According to El Saieh's obituary, "he was a unique talent spotter who discovered and hired a large number of the great Haitian naïves: Jacques Enguérrand Gourgue, André Pierre, André Normil, Jacques Chéry, Seymour Bottex, Alexandre Grégoire and dozens of others.” In the 1960's, Dr. Gross took his wife, Angela, to meet Issa, see the natural beauty of Haiti and enjoy its rich culture. Angela became acquainted with several of the artists, and she commissioned the unique two-sided screen offered within this collection. Many of the paintings offered here were purchased from the El Saieh Gallery by Dr. Gross or Dr. and Mrs. Gross together and were proudly displayed in their New Jersey home, representing a memorable time period for the couple and an important piece of Haitian culture. Ref.: "Remembering Issa." Galerie Macondo. http://www.artshaitian.com/Pages/issa2.html. Accessed Jan. 3, 2017. Lundahl, Matt and Bebo Valdés. "Issa El Saieh." Dagens Nyheter. Feb. 12, 2005. Neal Auction Company would like to thank Tom Folk, PhD, AAA for his assistance with this catalogue entry.

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February 12, 2017 11:00 AM CST
New Orleans, LA, US

Neal Auction Company

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