MAIN Art & Culture Art History Africa

Created long before recorded history, the art of Africa is one of the most ancient of ancient of cultural traditions, dating back some 6,000 years to African rock art.

Although as mixed and varied a collection which would normally encompass an entire continent, African art is best exemplified by a concentration on ritual masks, three-dimensional sculpture, — and the use of abstract forms which notably became a major influence on Picasso and the cubist movement in the 20th century.

More modern developments within the African art scene include the continued worldwide craze for Shona art from Zimbabwe, created by some of the best known of Africa's modern sculptors, and collected by such notable personalities as Prince Charles and Michael Jackson.

Around the Web, tour the continent via major holdings and online tours of both the ancient, and the beautifully vivid contemporary art of Africa - including online collections and virtual tours of traditional masks, sculpture, textiles, graphic arts and more...

More about African art around the Web:

National Museum of African Art - Beautifully designed tour of the museum's holdings at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. QuickTime required.

Museum for African Art - A special look at Masks Online, along with information on current exhibits and education programs.

Art in Africa - The motherlode of Web resources ranging from information on textiles, wood carvings, metal casting, ceremonial art and more categorized by country or region.

Tamarin - Art and Africa Online - Tribal and contemporary art in this handsome, cleanly designed online tour. News, collectors' exchange, related Web resources and more.

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas - As only the Metropolitan Museum can do it, with holdings ranging from ritual sculpture and monuments of wood and stone to gold and silver ornaments, masks and costumes.

Detroit Institute of Art: African Art - Interesting sweep of the permanent collection from several angles including musical instruments, animals, idealized women, the spirit world, and more.

The British Museum: Africa - A world-class collection of textiles, sculpture, graphic arts, coins, and more.

Ethiopia: Traditions of Creativity - A survey of contemporary Ethiopian artists with biographies, online galleries, links and related resources from the Michigan State University Museum.

also in Art History -> European Art History | Oceaniac Art History

North American Art History | South American Art History