‘Grenadian Art is defined as art that is produced in, and/or relevant to Grenada, by Grenadian and non-Grenadian artists.’ Grenada Arts Council Inc.
François Aimé Louis Dumoulin (1753-1834) from Vevey, Switzerland, was a draftsman, painter, engraver, illustrator and drawing teacher.He arrived in Grenada in 1773 and lived here during the French and British administrations. drawing ‘sights and plans for the English governor,’ and as secretary to the French intendant Jacques Lequoy during the French Interregnum.[i] He was among a handful of Swiss involved in the Grenada slave trade, managing a 120-acre coffee estate called Requin, in Saint David.
Grenada was a source of inspiration for Dumoulin, who sketched landscapes, as well the naval battles between the French and English from 1776 to 1782. He left a few artistic impressions of Grenada during the 1700s, including ‘Prise d’un grand requin’ (Capture of a great shark) and one showing the naval battle for Grenada: ‘Combat naval de la Grenade.’ The battle painting is subtitled ‘entre les Escadres Francoise du comte d’Estaing et Angloise de ‘admiral Byron en juillet 1778 elevant la ville de st georges de la ditte isle’ — loosely translated to ‘(battle) between the French wing of the Count d’Estaing and the English Admiral Byron in July 1778 above the town of St George’s of the same island.’
He returned to Vevey in 1783 and used his numerous sketches of the battles between the French and English navies in Grenada to create marine paintings in gouache, oil and watercolour. The Historical Museum of Vevey — a 2-hour drive from my upcoming art residency in the village of Feutersoey — houses a collection of Dumoulin’s paintings of battles between the French and English in the West Indies during the American War of Independence. I’ve added that to my list of things to do.
Detail showing the forts and the Town of St George
It’s 16 days until I begin my contemporary arts residency at Open Spaces in the Swiss Alps. Please join me on this journey, and receive at the end, an original made-in-Switzerland-by me artwork of your very own. Of course, along the way, you get to follow my blog (online or via email), and see progress reports. Visit my original blogpost with a Paypal link — and help offset basic expenses for my stay. So far, support received has paid for return airfare and ground transport to Gstaad, where I’ll be collected to get to the village of Feutersoey, some 10 minutes away. Thank you.
FOR YOU
As a reward for your generous support, I will send an original painting made-in-Switzerland-by-me to you at the end of the residency, as below:
- USD $50 support: (acid free mixed media paper, 6×8 inches.) Still available #27
- USD $100 support: (acid free mixed media paper 9×12 inches.) Still available #18
- USD $200 support: (handmade South Indian paper A4.) Still available #8
I will also provide daily updates about my journey on my blog as well as a special pdf diary of works in progress and extensive studio photos. BONUS: I’ll also send select digital images from my extensive Grenada Traditional Masquerade series, direct to your email address.
PS if the link does not work, OPEN IT IN YOUR BROWSER or please email me at artstung@gmail.com or inbox your email to https://www.facebook.com/artstungingrenada/ and I will email you a Paypal invoice. For persons who wish to donate outside of Paypal (in Grenada or in Trinidad or anywhere else) whatsapp me at 14734561953 for instructions.
Thank you to my family, friends, OLD and NEW collectors of my work!
[i] John Angus Martin, A-Z of Grenada Heritage. Macmillian Caribbean, 2007.