Georges Liautaud (Haitian 1899-1991) Vintage Folk Art Vendor Woman Copper Sculpture, Signed

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Georges Liautaud (Haitian 1899-1991) Vendor Woman Copper Sculpture, Signed. Copper figurative portrait of a woman holding a basket of food … Read more Georges Liautaud (Haitian 1899-1991) Vendor Woman Copper Sculpture, Signed. Copper figurative portrait of a woman holding a basket of food on her head. Signed en recto along the waist. In used condition with wear consistent with age.

Size:  11.75”H x 5”W x 5”D

Georges Liautaud (1899–1991) was a Haitian artist widely regarded as the father of Haitian metal sculpture. Born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, Liautaud initially worked as a blacksmith, creating practical items like crosses for cemeteries. His transition to art began in the 1940s when he was encouraged by American artist DeWitt Peters and Haitian artist Hector Hyppolite to explore metal as a medium for artistic expression. Liautaud's work often depicted Vodou symbols, biblical themes, and everyday Haitian life, characterized by intricate cut-metal designs.

His innovative use of recycled materials, such as oil drums, helped establish a new artistic tradition in Haiti. Liautaud's influence extended beyond his own work, as he mentored other Haitian artists, fostering a vibrant community of metal sculptors in Croix-des-Bouquets.

He was a part of the famous exhibit “Les Magiciens de la terre (The Magicians of Earth)” and his works have been exhibited internationally in places such as the Grand Palais, the Centre Pompidou, the Abbaye de Daoulas, the Fowler Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, the Frost Museum, the Bass Museum, the Halle Saint-Pierre and the Musée de Montparnasse. His work is part of the permanent collections at the MoMA in New York, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Davenport Museum, the Waterloo Museum, the Huntington Museum of Art, the Figge Art Museum, the Fond national d’art contemporain de France, the Musée national d’art moderne de Paris, the Musée de l’OEA, Le Centre d’Art, the Musée d’Art Haïtien du Collège Saint-Pierre and the Musée de Panthéon National Haïtien.

His sculptures have also been showcased in exhibitions such as "Haitian Art: The Legend and the Reality" (1984) and "Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou" (1995), which toured internationally.  Most recently he was showcased in the exhibition Ayiti Toma II: Faith, Family, and Resistance at Luhring Augustine in NYC (2024). Liautaud's legacy continues to inspire contemporary Haitian artists and remains a cornerstone of Haitian art history. See less