Florence Martinez (Haitian, 1942-1997)

Florence Martinez was born in 1942 in Jacmel, Haiti, and became one of the most celebrated painters of her generation. She began her art education in Port-au-Prince before entering formal training in 1959 at the Centre d'Art, the influential institution that helped define Haiti's modern art movement. Art historian John Allen Franciscus, in Haiti Voodoo Kingdom and Modern Riviera, described Martinez as one of the most gifted artists within her circle, a reputation reflected in the rare honor of being commissioned to paint a mural for the Episcopal Cathedral of Port-au-Prince. That mural was tragically lost when the cathedral was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake, making surviving works by Martinez all the more significant to collectors of Haitian art. Florence Martinez passed away in 1997, leaving behind a legacy as one of Haiti's most gifted painters from the Centre d'Art tradition. Explore her available works below.