TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE PROCLAIMS THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF HAITI: FRENCH LITHOGRAPH BY EUGENE MARIE FRANCOIS VILLAIN19th century Lithograph shows a striking scene from Haitian history: Toussaint L'Ouverture, the Black general who led the Haitian Revolution, standing before a crowd and holding up the newly written Constitution of 1801. Beside him stands a bishop with his staff, while soldiers, a kneeling figure, and a mother with her baby look on. Above the crowd, clouds part to reveal a heavenly figure with outstretched arms, giving the moment a sense of divine blessing. At the bottom, a French caption describes L'Ouverture proclaiming the constitution as governor general in the presence of the people's representatives, alongside a small emblem reading "Liberte, Egalite, Republique d'Haiti." The print is attributed to French lithographer Eugène Marie François Villain and was published in Paris by Villain's studio. Unframed. plate: 12 x 9.5 inches; sheet: 18.5 x 14 inches $200-300
