Postcard From Haiti: February 2026 by Rick Forgham
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! It is February, and with much of the U.S. experiencing record cold and seemingly endless rounds of snow, it’s the perfect time to draw attention to a painting by Gervais Emmanuel Ducasse. This artwork captures the aftermath of a snowstorm that occurred on February 8 and 9, 1974, in Troy, New York.
Ducasse was born in 1903 in Port-au-Prince and is known to have made several trips to the United States during his lifetime. The February snows in Troy made a significant impression on him, prompting him to create several snow-themed paintings featuring this upstate town. His artworks are often described as narrative in nature, reflecting his desire to accurately document scenes of daily life through his unique drawing and painting style. Ducasse's images were meticulously drawn in pencil with the use of a ruler on primed masonite board, followed by the application of color—often featuring pale washes of pinks, blues, greens, and occasional earth tones.
As a thoughtful illustrator, nearly all of Ducasse’s works aim to tell a story. He captures activity and movement, presenting moments frozen in time—whether it is a military parade in Port-au-Prince, a bustling village open-air market, or a snowstorm in a small American town. In this particular painting, he details the items stocked in stores, with penciled signage overlaying the windows. Townspeople are depicted busily clearing the snow and hauling it away in wheelbarrows, while a few shoppers stroll along the freshly shoveled sidewalks. Ducasse often includes period vehicles in his paintings, and in this instance, a vintage car takes center stage as it navigates an intersection in the heart of the composition. Many Haitian artists of the time added descriptive titles or brief narratives to their works, and Ducasse incorporated detailed inscriptions as a signature element of his style. Notably, for this painting—depicting a scene in the United States—he took the extra step of inscribing his narrative first in French, followed by English on the second line. The English inscription reads: “Large torrent of snows in front of stores, houses, and restaurants.” He also documents the exact date of the scene as “February 8 & 9, 1974,” thereby establishing that his painting illustrates a noteworthy weather event that actually took place.
Ducasse began his painting career at the age of 45 after his position as a government agricultural agent ended due to a lack of administrative funding. The timing of this career shift allowed him to align with a generation of Haitian artists who contributed to solidifying Haitian Art as a valued genre, now collectible and exhibited in museums worldwide.
And yes…spring is just around the corner, so the next postcard will take us back to Haiti, its people, and their art.
Rick Forgham, February 2026