Saincilius Ismael

Saincilius Ismaël found his inspiration from religion, primary Christianity. Many of his paintings portray the Virgin Mary with a child or children such as in the canvas, “La Madonne,” showcased here. Saincilius also often integrated images and symbolism from the Voodoo religion such as lwas (Voodoo spirits) and their vèvès (religious symbols representing the spirits). Saincilius Ismael was well-educated and scholarly. He joined the Centre d’Art and later the Foyer Des Arts Plastiques. The Art Center was organized by American Dewitt C. Peters in the early forties. The Foyer des Arts Plastiques was constituted by a dissenting group of artists that separated from the Art Center in the 1950s. A painting by Saincilius Ismael’s is instantly recognized and is often compared to Byzantine iconography, not only because of the religious subjects he portrays, but also because of the style of his compositions. His work is full of meticulous details and his canvas is saturated with exacting and intricate decorative patterns. Saincilius Ismael was born in the small Haitian town of Petite-Rivière in 1940 and this is also where he passed away in 2000.


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