Norbert Ilunga, born Democratic Republic of the Congo, active 1946-1950s Search this
Medium:
Pastel on paper
Dimensions:
H x W: 29.2 x 23.3 cm (11 1/2 x 9 3/16 in.)
Type:
Painting
Geography:
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date:
ca. 1940s-1950s
Label Text:
This painting is by Ilunga, one of the members of the Lubumbashi painting group or atelier which was a key modernist movement in central Africa. Established by amateur artist-patron Pierre Romain-Desfossés in the late 1940s, the artists were collectively and variously known as "Le Hangar," the "Elisabethville Indigenous Art Studio" and the Académie des beaux arts and produced a significant body of successful decorative works. Desfossés, like a number of expatriate colleagues at other art centers expounded a laissez-faire or hands off approach to teaching. He simultaneously providied his students with certain palettes and "native" inspirations to pursue their work, but did not demand a certain approach.
Ilunga was a disciple and frequent collaborator with the artist Pillipilli, and produced works characterized by delicate hatchings and small rosettes. Background colors were soft and subtle, offsetting the meticulous brushwork and design.
Description:
A still life in ochres and browns depicts a vase of flowers set against a backgroud of carefully interdispersed figures of fish and animals (perhaps horses). Delicate crosshatchings and rossettes complete the textures of the painting.
Provenance:
Anonymous donor, 1949 to 2002
Exhibition History:
Recent Acquisitions and Promised Gifts, National Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 18, 2002-January 5, 2003
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