Realist painter Franck Louissaint passed away on February 5, 2021, in Pétion-Ville, Haiti. Here are excerpts from Le Nouvelliste.

Franck Louissaint, the painter always in search of excessive realism, died on February 5 in Pétion-Ville. He passed away at the age of 71. For us, he will live on through his lessons, his technique, and his works, which will extend his life into eternity. As long as there are men and women sensitive to artistic creations, the powerful breath of Franck Louissaint will continue to amaze and inspire generations. At the Festival Haïti « Le Printemps de l’Art, » Louissaint’s paintings drew many comments.

At the Nader Gallery, the eye of the visitors, led by Pierre Chauvet of Agence Citadelle, captured the illusionist precision of this artist who depicts genre scenes in a realistic representation worthy of a photographic snapshot.

Louissaint, at the height of his art, managed to reproduce scenes of everyday urban and country life faithfully. If the gallery owners were not careful, some visitors would try to lay their hands-on paintings by this illusionist. [. . .]

Louissaint’s “hyperrealist” trend is inspired by the movement that began in the United States in the 1960s. This type of painting aims to present people in their living environment from an objective angle. The very concept of hyperrealism invites the curious to explore the world of these artists. We meet Ron Mueck, Chuck Close, Denis Peterson, Latif Maulan, Olumide Oresegun … magicians who, through hard work and a goldsmith’s precision, ended up creating works that go beyond reality.

For art critic Gérald Alexis, art “is hyperrealistic when the image shows what the eye does not take the time to see.” To illustrate “in a painting showing the facade of a cafe, we can see not only the customers seated, but also and above all, everything in the environment that is reflected in the window of this café.” [. . .]

Excerpts translated from the French by Ivette Romero. For full article, see https://lenouvelliste.com/article/226145/le-pere-du-realisme-haitien-franck-louissaint-est-mort

For more information on the artist, see https://www.galerienader.com/artist