Antonio Joseph (Haitian, 1921-2016)

Antonio Joseph was born in Barahona, Dominican Republic, to Haitian parents in 1921 and died on May 7, 2016. Widely regarded as one of the pioneers of modern Haitian art, he was among the first artists to join the Centre d'Art in Port-au-Prince in 1944, where he studied watercolor, drawing, and sculpture under Dewitt Peters, Jason Seley, William Calfee, Robel Paris, and Paul Keene before developing his own distinctive style. Internationally recognized by the early 1950s, Joseph received Guggenheim Foundation awards in 1953 and 1957. He exhibited in Havana in 1945, in Paris with UNESCO in 1946, and throughout the United States, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Morocco, Germany, and Switzerland. His paintings are held in major collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Musée d'Art Haïtien du Collège Saint-Pierre, and the Musée d'Art Nader. Art critic Gérald Alexis famously wrote, “Were it not for Picasso, Joseph might have been the inventor of Cubism,” underscoring the originality and importance of his work. Today, Antonio Joseph is recognized as one of the most influential figures in Haitian painting, and his works remain highly sought after by collectors worldwide. Explore his available works below.