Léda et le cygne

In this major work by Dorcély, the lyrical form of the white swan contrasts with the black shadows characteristic of his style and brings energy to the composition.

A pre-eminent artist of Haitian modernity, Roland Dorcély arrived in Paris in 1950. He was noticed by art dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler and spent time with Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, André Masson and art critic Alain Jouffroy. He painted exuberant landscapes, still lifes and female nudes with vigorous construction and a bold colour palette. Léda and the Swan, which is Dorcély's largest painting, epitomises his plastic production.