Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E (Nigerian, 1917-1994) Figures In Profile ('Africanity')
Provenance : [Timeline chronologique]
1966-01-01 | Acquired directly from the artist in Lagos, 1966
[Propriété non datée]
- In private Dutch collection, 1966-2007
- Thence by descent
- The angular dancer on the left of this composition is strikingly similar to the figure depicted in a gouache titled Africanity that Enwonwu painted the previous year
- In both works, the figure's arms are raised to his head so that they form a diamond shape
- This shape is echoed by the lower half of his body, his knees pointing outward
- In the earlier gouache, the figure is very abstract; even his facial expression is composed from straight horizontal and vertical lines
- Enwonwu has fleshed the dancer out in this later oil painting
- White highlights and shading create the illusion of rounded thighs
- Another important difference between the two compositions is the insertion of the woman wearing a blue headdress
- Her three-quarter profile and regal posture can be seen as a foreshadowing of Enwonwu's most famous portrait, the Ife princess Adetutu Ademiluyi (Tutu), painted by Enwonwu in 1973
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Notes :
Condition_report : In excellent condition. The pigments are vibrant and the paint surface is secure. There is a very faint indentation in the lower left corner just above the frame, most likely impressed by a previous frame. Please note: the painting has not been examined out of the frame.
