A concise, accessible and up-to-date overview of the arts of Africa from prehistoric times to the present.
This indispensable introductory guide explores the art of the African continent from its earliest origins over 75,000 years ago to the present day, in the context of postcolonial debates, the restitution of cultural objects and artifacts, and the challenges of the present. This enormous and complex field of study, once underappreciated by the Western art world, is now of global importance and an essential subject for art history education.
For ease of reference and analysis, Suzanne Preston Blier, an expert on African art, has structured this guide chronologically into user-friendly chapters covering ancient art, the Middle Ages, travel and trade, the encounter with Europe in the age of exploration, the colonial era, the reconstruction of the continent in recent times, and contemporary art. Central themes of African visual and cultural expression across the continent are addressed, from the cycle of life (children, initiation, motherhood, religion) to the body and representations of power dynamics. Important regional artistic expressions are also explored, such as the cultures of Mali (western Sudan), Nigeria (lower Niger and the Benue area), the Congo Basin, and various nomadic peoples of the continent.
FROM THE SAME SERIES
MODERN ART – ISBN 9788866486510
SURREALISM – ISBN 9788866486503
STREET ART – ISBN 9788866486077
PHOTOGRAPHY – ISBN 9788866485520
THE SELF-PORTRAIT – ISBN 9788866485261
SYMBOLS OF ART – ISBN 9788866484578
UNDERSTANDING ART – ISBN 9788866485537
WOMEN IN ART – ISBN 9788866484394
50 MOMENTS THAT CHANGED ART – ISBN 9788866484400
HOW TO LOOK AT A PAINTING – ISBN 9788866486145
IMPRESSIONISM – ISBN 9788866486152
AUTHOR
SUZANNE PRESTON BLIER – She is an art historian, currently a professor of Fine Arts and African and African American Studies at Harvard University, and a leading expert on African art, architecture and culture.
