Rigaud Benoit (Haitian, 1911-1986)

Rigaud Benoit (1911–1986) was one of the most important masters of modern Haitian art and a leading figure of the Haitian Naïve painting movement. Born in Haiti, Benoit worked as a shoemaker, musician, and taxi driver before dedicating himself to painting. He became an early member of the Centre d’Art in Port-au-Prince, the institution founded in 1944 by DeWitt Peters that helped bring international recognition to Haitian painting. Benoit’s works quickly became among the most admired at the Centre d’Art. In the early 1950s he was selected to decorate the interior of the Cathedral of Sainte-Trinité, where his monumental mural Nativity was placed above the high altar. Although the cathedral was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake, the murals remain an important chapter in Haitian art history. Known for precise draftsmanship, subtle color palettes, and narrative scenes filled with humor and symbolism, Benoit painted both everyday Haitian life and spiritual subjects inspired by Vodou. He was also connected to the great master Hector Hyppolite through marriage, further linking him to Haiti’s first generation of internationally celebrated artists. Today, Rigaud Benoit’s paintings remain highly valued by collectors of Haitian art. Explore the available artwork below.