20th-Century Congolese Easel Painting

Thomas Bayet

The history of what is referred to as Congolese ‘easel painting’ began to develop around 1926, driven primarily by Europeans from Belgium and France who were quick to recognise the creative genius of the local population, and who were willing to flout the traditional European aesthetic canon. Georges Thiry and Gaston-Denys Périer, followed by Pierre Romain-Desfossés and Laurent Moonens, were a few of the visionaries working against the prevailing artistic trends.

While the majority of Europeans on the continent saw themselves as bringing culture to the Congo, some expatriates took a profound interest in the local culture. These individuals understood what many would not consider—that the indigenous population had their own history and culture, with forms and codes simply foreign to these new observers. In the face of opposition, and cultural and artistic impact, these fervent defenders of the local population led a battle to defend their beliefs. They attempted to understand the society around them and to search out these ‘unknown’ artists. But while their actions were essential, it is important to note that the emerging work was the sole creation of the indigenous artists, primarily Congolese, who drew on the depths of the African landscape for their inspiration.

Georges Thiry had called Kasai ‘the country of fables’, [1] and in the Congo of the 1920s and ’30s, native culture was oral. There was no radio or television—only stories and fables told by the fireside among families, clans and villages after night had fallen. This culture was the principal source of inspiration for the engravings and paintings that decorated the ornate objects and walls, and which were then transposed onto paper with watercolours.