Oil on canvas
This painting shows children playing around a waterfall that runs through the vertical center of the scene. At the top of the waterfall sits two small homes. At the bottom of the waterfall, there is a river surrounded by bushes and trees. On one bare tree to the left of the river, two small children climb to the top to fly their kites. On a rock in the center of the river, a small pantless boy turns away from us, holding a fishing rod; at his feet, another child bathes. There is clothing laying to dry on the bushes to the right of the river. An adult woman stands next to them, supervising the children. Fishing, climbing trees and flying kites are all typical activities for children in the Haitian countryside. The color pallet and painting technique creates a soft and muted effect. The scene is idyllic and almost nostalgic. If you were to paint an image to encapsulate the nostalgic joy of your childhood, what would you paint?
Artist Bio: Francoise Jean was born in Les Anglais, Haiti in 1953. She started drawing at an early age. When she was nine years old, she drew rural scenes on clothes for her mother to embroider. In teenage years, she moved to Port-au-Prince near noted artist Petion Savain. In 1968, a year after the move, she began to paint with Savain until he passed away in 1973. She has been working with the painter Jean Richard Chery since the passing of Savain. She currently lives in Petion-Ville.
Jean depicts only children. When questioned about this she explained, "children are my source of inspiration.”
