"One speaks softly, like in a sacred place”: collecting, studying and exhibiting Congolese artefacts as African art in Belgium (1850–1897)

This article will try to correct the ‘modernist myth’, dating the ‘discovery’ of African ‘art’ after 1900, by looking at Belgium and its colony at the end of the 19th century. Although Africans themselves were of course the first to appreciate the beauty of their own objects, not only European artis...

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Main Author: Maarten Couttenier
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Department of Art History, University of Birmingham 2015-07-01
Series:Journal of Art Historiography
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arthistoriography.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/couttenier.pdf
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author Maarten Couttenier
author_facet Maarten Couttenier
author_sort Maarten Couttenier
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description This article will try to correct the ‘modernist myth’, dating the ‘discovery’ of African ‘art’ after 1900, by looking at Belgium and its colony at the end of the 19th century. Although Africans themselves were of course the first to appreciate the beauty of their own objects, not only European artists, but also colonials, scientists and museum curators became fascinated by African artists and their work, including not only sculpture, but also material culture, drawings, architecture, music and dance. The article will trace how African utensils became exhibited as ethnographical specimens and art objects during World Exhibitions and in the (Belgian) Congo Museum in Tervuren.
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spelling doaj.art-7fa296bcd4b941cd932254d1501be3352022-12-21T22:33:20ZengDepartment of Art History, University of BirminghamJournal of Art Historiography2042-47522015-07-011212MC1"One speaks softly, like in a sacred place”: collecting, studying and exhibiting Congolese artefacts as African art in Belgium (1850–1897)Maarten Couttenier 0Royal Museum for Central AfricaThis article will try to correct the ‘modernist myth’, dating the ‘discovery’ of African ‘art’ after 1900, by looking at Belgium and its colony at the end of the 19th century. Although Africans themselves were of course the first to appreciate the beauty of their own objects, not only European artists, but also colonials, scientists and museum curators became fascinated by African artists and their work, including not only sculpture, but also material culture, drawings, architecture, music and dance. The article will trace how African utensils became exhibited as ethnographical specimens and art objects during World Exhibitions and in the (Belgian) Congo Museum in Tervuren.https://arthistoriography.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/couttenier.pdfCongoBelgiumAfrican artethnographymuseumshistory of sciencescolonial culture
spellingShingle Maarten Couttenier
"One speaks softly, like in a sacred place”: collecting, studying and exhibiting Congolese artefacts as African art in Belgium (1850–1897)
Journal of Art Historiography
Congo
Belgium
African art
ethnography
museums
history of sciences
colonial culture
title "One speaks softly, like in a sacred place”: collecting, studying and exhibiting Congolese artefacts as African art in Belgium (1850–1897)
title_full "One speaks softly, like in a sacred place”: collecting, studying and exhibiting Congolese artefacts as African art in Belgium (1850–1897)
title_fullStr "One speaks softly, like in a sacred place”: collecting, studying and exhibiting Congolese artefacts as African art in Belgium (1850–1897)
title_full_unstemmed "One speaks softly, like in a sacred place”: collecting, studying and exhibiting Congolese artefacts as African art in Belgium (1850–1897)
title_short "One speaks softly, like in a sacred place”: collecting, studying and exhibiting Congolese artefacts as African art in Belgium (1850–1897)
title_sort one speaks softly like in a sacred place collecting studying and exhibiting congolese artefacts as african art in belgium 1850 1897
topic Congo
Belgium
African art
ethnography
museums
history of sciences
colonial culture
url https://arthistoriography.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/couttenier.pdf
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