Colours of Congo: Patterns, Symbols and Narratives in 20th-Century Congolese Paintings

A richly illustrated study on the history and reception of twentieth-century Congolese painting. 

A strong international interest in Congolese art has grown steadily since the founding of Belgium’s Royal Museum of Central Africa in the early 1900s, which was the first museum to institutionalize its study. In order to represent the chronological development of painting studios from Elisabethville to Brazzaville, this book is organized into three distinct sections. The first section provides a general introduction to Congolese art, focusing on the time period following the initial colonial encounter, and the second section discusses the painting studio established by Pierre Romain-Desfossés. The book concludes with a look at the schools of Laurent Moonens and Pierre Lods, highlighting the development of the various institutions that brought European art materials to the Congo and established techniques that subsequently popularized Congolese artists in Europe. This book is certain to draw attention to a significant area of African art history that continues to arouse popular interest. 
 

Florian Knothe recently launched UMAG_STArts, which teaches the science and technology of art, and directs the newly developed Master of Arts in the field of Museum Studies at the University of Hong Kong.

Estela Ibáñez-García teaches in the African studies program at the University of Hong Kong.

Thomas Bayet is a curator at the Museum of Fine Arts in Tournai.