Encouraged by the painters at the Art Center, he left his job as a taxi driver to devote himself entirely to painting. His style is so meticulous that he had to use a magnifying glass in order to render his drawings in ever more precise detail. Benoit is both a humorist and a narrator. In 1947, he participated in the exhibition, organized by the Museum Art in Paris at UNESCO. Benoit was among the eight painters to work on the murals at the Holy Trinity Cathedral. He painted “the Nativity” part, one of the cathedral’s masterworks. His favorite subjects are scenes of daily life, voodoo and folklore characterized by a decorative narrative style. He uses an amusing story, all the white remaining critical, philosophical and a moralist, but above all a dreamer .He paints the Haitian woman as a flower. One can feel the lyricism in his art. As Gérald Alexis said in his book Peintres Haitiens” “his refined, delicate style shows a preference for pastel blues”. Benoit’s style has established him as one of Haiti’s foremost painters. His art works are sold on major auction houses namely Sotheby’s and Christie’s in New York. They are also shown in major art Museums and are acquired by major Haitian art collectors and art lovers. His art contributed a lot to the worldwide recognition of Haitian art.

Rigaud Benoit died in 1987 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

References:

Peintures Haitiennes by Editions Delroisse

La Peinture Haitienne by Marie-Jose Nadal & Gerald Bloncourt

Haiti et ses Peintres by Philipe Michel Lerebours

A Haitian Celebration –Art & Culture by Ute Steibish

Where Art is Joy- By Selden Rodman

Artists in Tune with their World- By Selden Rodman

Peintres Haitiens by Gerald Alexis