Two New Books Reassess African Art History and Challenge Colonial Narratives

Two recent publications reconsider the history and appreciation of African art, challenging long-held Western biases. Ezio Bassani's "L'Art africain" (Skira) provides a comprehensive analysis of African sculpture, arguing that many works date back centuries—some to the first millennium BCE—contradicting the notion that African art lacks history. Bassani also refutes the idea of anonymity, noting that while individual names are often lost, artists were trained professionals recognized by pseudonyms like "Maître du Buli." The book features over one hundred masterpieces. Meanwhile, Bérénice Geoffroy-Schneiter's "Arts premiers, mode d'emploi" (Flammarion) offers a pedagogical guide, including a chapter on "passeurs" (ethnologists, writers, artists, dealers, collectors) and comparisons between African and Oceanic art and contemporary Western art. The publications arrive amid ongoing debates about colonial-era acquisitions, such as those from the 1930s Dakar-Djibouti mission led by Marcel Griaule, which sent crates of ritual objects to France. The books aim to correct misconceptions and elevate the status of African art within global art history.