How African and European artists capture the spirit of Africa
What does "African art" mean? From the 19th century to present, here are some of the most exciting works that define the term.
Jacques Majorelle: "Le marché aux dattes"
The French artist preferred to paint on black paper and experiment with glue-based distemper mixed with gold and silver powder. That enabled him to create contrasting metallic gloss effects, as seen in "The Date Market" above. The painting was created between 1940 and 1945 and depicts two date dealers talking to each other at a market in Marrakech.
Jacques Majorelle: "Kasbah de Tasgah, vallée de Télouet"
Majorelle was fascinated by Moroccan kasbahs, stone fortresses located outside many Arab cities. This painting from 1940 shows one such structure in the Telouet Valley near the Grand Atlas Mountains southeast of Marrakech. The estimated price of this work of art is 120,000 to 180,000 euros ($143,000-215,000).
Jacques Majorelle: "Les Allamattes"
Orientalists were fascinated by the customs of indigenous people of North Africa and the Middle East, and their artworks often read as ethnographic studies. For instance, Majorelle's "Les Allamates" (above), is the only oil on canvas known to this day to represent the traditional festival that took place during the visit of high officers.
Alphonse-Étienne Dinet: "Le Khôl"
Born in Paris and educated in classical painting, Dinet quickly fell in love with Orientalism following his trip to Algeria in 1884. His work consists almost entirely of figural canvases that document Muslim people and their culture. "Le Khôl" ("Kohl"), which portrays a woman applying kohl, an ancient eye cosmetic, on another woman's face, is one of his most famous canvases.
Photography from Senegal and Mali
In his "Project Diaspora," Senegalese photographer Omar Victor Diop (left, 2015) imitates historical figures in stylized self-portraits. In "Nuit de Noël (Happy Club, right), Malian photographer Malick Sidibé shows a dancing couple in Bamako on Christmas Eve 1963.
Chéri Samba: "L'homme qui mange de la peinture"
The paintings of one of the most famous contemporary African artists, Chéri Samba from Congo, always include texts in French and Lingala, spoken in parts of Central Africa. With their rich, lively backgrounds that often distract from the main subject, they serve as commentaries on life in Africa. Samba's works can be seen at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the MoMA in New York.