At his death in 1948, Hyppolite was recognized as Haiti’s foremost painter. By 1946, both André Breton and Wilfredo Lam were purchasing his work and hailing him as a master of the naïve art. UNESCO’s 1947 exhibition in Paris gave Hyppolite a worldwide reputation. Born into a family of voodoo priests, Hyppolite did not start to paint until late. Hyppolite traveled to New York, Cuba, Dahomey, and Ethiopia during World War I before returning to St. Mark in 1920. Although by trade a shoemaker, house painter, and sometimes voodoo priest, Hyppolite painted postcards for American marines visiting Haiti. His painted architectural decorations in St. Mark brought him to the attention of DeWitt Peters, founder, and Director of the Centre D’Art. With DeWitt’s encouragement, Hyppolite moved to Port-au-Prince and devoted himself to painting. Using chicken feathers, his fingers, and brushes, Hyppolite produced a body of work of remarkable richness and complexity. His works are collected and exhibited in the leading museums throughout the world. The Musée du Louvre in Paris held an exhibit from November 5th, 2011, through February 6th, 2012. It published an accompanying book on the life and art of Hector Hyppolite, one of Haiti’s greatest artists, the patriarch of Haitian art. A legend in his country, Hyppolite is known for his aesthetically sophisticated yet highly intuitive paintings. He died in 1948, at the peak of his fame, leaving a legacy that has inspired a whole school of Haitian art.