Description

ANONYMOUS.

[S. l., S. d., but probably German, circa 1846-1850].

Jean-Baptiste Riché played an important role in Haiti’s war of independence and later served as a trusted commander under the first king of Haiti, Henri Christophe (1767-1820). When he was appointed president in 1846, Riché was nearly seventy years old, blind in one eye, and illiterate. He proposed a series of reforms and sought to restore the Constitution of 1816. Tragically, just one day shy of his first anniversary in office, Jean-Baptiste Riché died from poisoning.

The current portrait captures the distinct features of this Haitian president, but it differs from the more widely recognized images found in painted and lithographed versions. Notably, this portrayal depicts the president wearing a different uniform, with gray hair and an earring—details that are absent in other representations. It is unclear whether this drawing was based on another source or if the differences stem from a European interpretation of a Caribbean dignitary.

Additionally, the portrait, mounted on a brown card, is incorrectly labeled in the lower margin in German as King of Haiti, Henri Christophe.