According to Michele Granjean's wonderful book, Artistes en Haiti, Fritzner Alphonse was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on July 18, 1938. His mother who was from Jacmel, was a market vendor and his father was a leather tanner, an occupation that Fritzner himself worked at until he was 36. He had started dabbling in art around the age of 34 under the influence of his boyhood friend, Calixte Henri who taught him not only to paint but gave him access to his extensive library of art books from which Fritzner developed an affinity for 18th Century western painters. His family are 3rd generation protestants and he atends the Baptist church every sunday. He has no regard for vodou; he thinks that it has ruined Haiti.