Caribbean stain

My doctoral research on the French Antilles addresses ethnicity as integral to our understanding of French colonialism and the concept of race as presented in nineteenth-century French painting. My study emphasizes for the first time the importance in recognizing the French Caribbean heritage present in eighteenth to nineteenth-century French art. Black sitters and tropical settings benefitted the artistic careers and formations of white Europeans, who were presenting themes of the exotic to an eager public. Creole painters in Paris, however, used such themes to explore their Antillean roots, which ultimately led them to an acceptance or rejection of their identities as evidenced in selected artworks. My dissertation consists of four inter-related chapters, and each one will focus on individual artists and their contributions.