Untitled by Ismael Saincilus

Ismael Saincilus. Detail of an untitled and undated painting. 25 x 21.5 in. Courtesy of David Cutrell.

A painting within a painting. Atop a background of geometric patterns in various shades of brown, the center of the canvas features an oval shape from which a dream-like scene emerges. Tall and slender, a Black woman takes up most of the frame. Smiling, she balances an oversized basket atop her head. The basket is filled with large fruits, all the same round shape, in yellow’s, green’s, and red’s. Her layered outfit and headdress are made of colorful Haitian fabrics. By her side, a small figure, man or child, also Black, is profiled with a straw hat. They both wear the same black sandals. The sky behind them is made of a flowers motif; blue-black pedals outlined with thin, light blue lines. From the horizon, green flora in a range of hues stem forth, growing larger and larger as they reach the foreground.