Colonialists changed much of Africa, however, they did manage to capture the continent’s beauty. These are 19 African life paintings and drawings made by colonialists.
There is no doubt that the whole continent of Africa houses magnificent people and places worthy to be captured into art. Here we are giving you a collection of African life paintings and sketches dating to Africa’s colonial period.
You are going to learn about Africa through sketches and paintings on life. This article contains some of the best African life paintings and sketches.
In this article the term colonialist describes any non-African, generally in Africa on behalf of a queen or king. Colonialism caused havoc in much of Africa, and sketches and paintings were often used for harmful purposes. However, today we can admire the beautiful African life paintings and sketches.
Taarifa
Taarifa means information in Kiswahili, at the foot of each image is a section headed “Taarifa” containing pertinent information relating to the image.
This post is all about African life paintings.
19 African Life Paintings & Sketches by Colonialists
Mangbetu woman by the fire
Mangbetu women used to elongate their heads in a practice called Lipombo.
See Mangbetu Queen Nenzima’s nails in 11 Photos of Africa Historical Fashion Items & Trends.
Taarifa
Title: Mangbetu woman by the fire
People: the Mangbetu
Artist: Ernst M. Heims
Medium: aquarelle
Origin: From the Congo to the Niger and the Nile : an account of The German Central African expedition of 1910-1911
Year: 1913
Country/Region: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa
The Water-Pipe Smoker
A handsomely dressed water-pipe smoker.
Taarifa
Title: The Water-Pipe Smoker Artist: Gyula Tornai Medium: oil on panel Year: 2003 Country/Region: North Africa
A Village on a Lake
Mosgum dwelling units are the unique cone shaped buildings the Mosgum people lived in.
See Mosgum dwelling units in 17 Impressive Buildings Out Of The Africa Architecture Scene
Taarifa
Title: A Village on a Lake
People: the Mosgum
Artist: Hans Busse
Medium: aquarelle
Origin: Das Deutsche Kolonialreich, by Hans Meyer, 1909. Vol I, p. 626.
Year: c. 1909
Country/Region: Cameroon, Central Africa
Village near Bismarckburg and Hausa Caravan
A Hausa caravan walking through a village in Bismarckburg.
The Hausa have long been excellent camel and horse riders, see Hausa riding boots and a saddle bag in 15 Types of Clothing in Medieval Africa Every Time Traveller Should Own.
Taarifa
Title: Village near Bismarckburg and Hausa Caravan People: the Hausa Artist: Rudolf Hellgrewe Origin: “The Book of Our Colonies” by Ottomar Beta, Leipzig: Hirt & Sohn, 1908 Year: c. 1908 Country/Region: near Bismarckburg, Togo, West Africa
A Nubian and a ‘Fellah’
Two men, one being Nubian in modern-day Egypt
Taarifa
Title: "A Nubian and a 'Fellah'"
People: the Nubian
Artist: Eugène Leroux, Achille Émile Théodore Prisse D'Avennes
Medium: paper
Year: c. 1848
Country/Region: Nubia, Egypt, North Africa
Current Location: The British Museum
Street in Gulfei
Street in the Gulfei Sultanate.
Taarifa
Title: Street in Gulfei
People: the Kotoko
Artist: Adolf Frederick of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Origin: From the Congo to the Niger and the Nile : an account of The German Central African expedition of 1910-1911 Volume I
Year: 1911
Country/Region: Gulfei Sultanate, Cameroon, West Africa
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Egyptian Woman
An Egyptian woman possibly fetching water.
Taarifa
Title: Egyptian Woman
People: the Egyptian
Artist: Norman H. Hardy
Origin: Women of all nations, a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence;
Year: 1908
Country/Region: Egypt, North Africa
A village on a watering hole
The word Kaffer is a derogatory and improper term used by colonialists to dehumanize Africans.
Taarifa
Artist: Samuel Daniell
Medium: drawing
Origin: A collection of plates illustrative of African scenery and animals, with descriptive letterpress.
Year: 1804
Country/Region: South Africa, Southern Africa
Current Location: the British Library
Fern woods on Cameroon Peak
Mount Cameroon is one of the three rainiest places on earth.
Taarifa
Title: Fern woods (cyathea) on Cameroon Peak at 1800 meters.
Artist: Carl Chun
Medium: painting
Origin: Aus den Tiefen des Weltmeeres by Carl Chun, 1903
Year: c. 1903
Country/Region: Mount Cameroon, Cameroon, West Africa
Somali Man
A Somali Warrior with his sword and shield.
Taarifa
Title: Somali Man
People: the Somali
Artist: Antonio Zeno Shindler
Medium: oil on canvas
Year: c. 1893
Country/Region: Somalia, East Africa
Current Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum, United States, North America
Title of art piece (11)
A young Borroro woman and man.
Taarifa
Title: Borroro
People: Borroro
Artist: Ernst M. Heims
Medium: drawing
Origin: From the Congo to the Niger and the Nile : an account of The German Central African expedition of 1910-1911
Year: c. 1910
Country/Region: Cameroon, West Africa
Magemma of Maradi
Magemma, the chief of the cavalry of Sultan Sery Ussa of Maradi.
Taarifa
Title: Magemma, chief of the cavalry of Sultan Sery Ussa of Maradi, territory of Niger
People: Hausa
Artist: Alexandre Jacovleff
Medium: painting
Origin: From Drawings and Paintings of Africa, executed during the Citroen Central Africa expedition, second Haardt Aud mission
Year: 1927
Country/Region: Niger, West Africa
A Rizighat Warrior
The Rizighat are an Arab tribe of from the Darfur region.
The 2500 BC Sudanese Kingdom of Kerma was highly militaristic, see their daggers of bone and copper in 7 Treasured Medieval and Ancient African Art History Objects Found *Across* The Continent of Africa
Taarifa
Title: A Rizighat Warrior
People: a Sudanese dervish
Origin: Fire and Sword in the Sudan: A Personal Narrative of Fighting and Serving the Dervishes, 1879-1895
Year: c. 1890
Country/Region: Sudan, North Africa
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Ghazali Monastery
Ruins of the Ghazali Monastry in Sudan.
Taarifa
Title: Klosterruine von Wadi Gazâl: Aeussere Ansicht, Innere Ansicht. People: the Nubian Artist: Ernst Weidenbach Medium: print Year: 1849-1856 Country/Region: Wadi Abu Dom valley, Sudan, North Africa
Arab Horse Soldiers
Three Algerian Spahis cavaliers and a man.
Algeria is the biggest country in Africa, see a glimpse of its culture in Images of the African Culture Aesthetic and in 54 Pictures of Traditional African Clothing By Country.
Taarifa
Title: Arab Horse Soldiers
People: the Spahis
Artist: Guillaume Urban Régamey
Medium: oil on canvas
Year: 1871
Country/Region: Algeria, North Africa
Current Location: Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Britain, Northern Europe
Horseman wearing lifidi
Kano was once home to many great kingdoms.
Taarifa
Title: Horseman wearing lifidi (cotton padded armour) in Kano
People: the Hausa
Artist: Käthe Olshausen-Schönberger, Carl Arriens
Origin: Jugend: Münchner illustrierte Wochenschrift für Kunst und Leben
Year: 1924
Country/Region: Kano, Nigeria, West Africa
A Nupe woman
A Nupe woman.
Taarifa
Title: A Nupe woman
People: the Nupe
Artist: Carl Arriens
Year: 1913
Country/Region: Nigeria, West Africa
Camels Reposing
A man resting on one of six camels.
Taarifa
Title: Camels Reposing, Tangiers
Artist: Marià Fortuny Marsal
Medium: Brush and watercolor over black graphite underdrawing. On off-white paper
Year: 1838–1874
Country/Region: Tangiers, Morocco, North Africa
Current Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Kuli-Kuta Dance
Ancient Kuli-Kuta dance.
Taarifa
Title: Dance of the Kuli-Kuta, Niamey
Artist: Alexander Evgenievich Yakovlev
Medium: painting
Year: 1924-1925
Country/Region: Niamey, Niger, West Africa
Inside 9 African Traditional Houses & Structures That You Can Actually Visit | Africa house traditional
This post was all about African life paintings.
[…] 19 African Life Paintings & Sketches by Colonialists […]