Ismael was born on April 24, 1940 in Petite-Riviere-de-l'Artibonite, Haiti. According to the excellent out-of-print book by Nadal-Gardere and Bloncourt, he was educated by the Friars of St. Mark and at Antenor Fermin High School. He began to paint in 1956 after visiting the centre d'Art and The Foyer des Artes Plastques. He studied with Blas and Georges Remponeau.

He was closely associated with Doctor and Mrs. Mellon at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Deschapelles where he supervised the Ceramics Center. Ismael developed a style that was instantly recognizable, scenes of Haitian peasant life rendered with the intricacy and precision of a Byzantine icon. He had many students, Errol Louis and Alix Dorleus among them. In an Ismael painting, every garment of a subject's clothing would be a different geometric pattern, as would the houses and the trees. Ismael died suddenly in February 2000.

* This is a wonderful Ismael. It was acquired by the present owner at an Eye Care/L'Hopital Albert Schweitzer benefit in Pittsburgh in 1991. The painting was supplied by Gwen Mellon, Ismael's chief patron in those days. It is, as are all the paintings we sell, absolutely authentic unlike many so-called Ismaels that are on the market today. This one is very special.