Les Trois Esprits d'Nago (The Three Spirits of Nago), André Pierre

I'm David Cateforis with another Art Minute with the Spencer Museum of Art. It may surprise you to learn that the Spencer’s contemporary gallery is alive with powerful spirits. These spirits dwell in the lush and vibrantly colored forest of Haitian painter André Pierre’s "The Three Spirits of Nago". Standing among swaying green branches and thick carpets of grass, a female figure in aristocratic dress gazes at the viewer with a discerning look. Flanking her are two bearded men in green and blue regalia. These three figures are the lords of Nago, which in the Haitian language denotes the green things, forests and plants native to Nago-land, or present day Nigeria. Besides being an accomplished religious painter, André Pierre is a priest of the Haitian Vodou religion, and many of his paintings represent the symbolic appearances of African spirits. Shortly after painting this work, Pierre sold it to the wife of an American diplomat, who later moved to Lawrence. Harry and Mary Lou Hughes have generously lent the work to the Spencer, sharing with visitors the brilliant colors, the rich decorative style, and the benevolent presence of "The Three Spirits of Nago". With thanks for the text by Patrick Frank and Anna Smith for their text, from the Spencer Museum of Art, I'm David Cateforis.