Haitian

Evans Pierre Augustin

Haiti b. 1953
Le Roi Henri 1er, Le Baron de Vastey, 76.0020

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After the slave rebellion (1791-1804), several factions vied for power in Haiti. Henri Christophe, one of Toussaint L'Ouverture's generals assumed power in the north, becoming President of the northern part of Haiti from January 1807 to March 1811. He then assumed the title, King of the North (Roi du Royaume du Nord), a phrase that is written on his black and red flag. Christophe ruled over the northern half of the territory until 1820 when he suffered a paralyzing stroke. Afterwards, he took his own life. In Augustin's painting, King Henry I is seated on a white horse and enters the gates of his palace. Known for his two ambitious building projects (the Citadel and his palace of Sans-Souci) and for his establishment of order and prosperity, King Henry I published Civil, Military, and Rural Codes, many based upon English laws, which contributed to the stability of the northern territory for a time.

 

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