Untitled (Children with Fruit and Pastries) by Gabriel Alix

Oil on board

Three girls and one boy excitedly gather around a tray of pastries. They are accompanied by an adult woman. They each are wearing clothing in one or two blocks of vibrant colors. One girl is holding a large fruit on top of her head. The fruit is larger than her head. They appear to be standing on a sidewalk and behind them is a muted pink wall with a partial brick pattern. The scene evokes an image of simplicity and joy. What are some of the simple joys you find in your own life?

Artist Bio: Gabriel Alix was born in St. Marc in 1930. He came to Port-au-Prince in 1946 at the urging of his lifelong friend, the legendary Hector Hyppolite. He joined the Centre d’Art at that time.

Alix was a taciturn man who was married to an artist, Madeline Mirvil, also a jungle painter. In his early years he painted scenes of typical Haitian life in a more naive style but as the years went by, he became one of the great technicians among Haitian artists. In later years, he seemed to concentrate on jungle paintings with an occasional still life. Gabriel Alix died in October 1998.