The reverse-glass paintings of Senegal are cultural testimonies of the highest value, capturing the colour of daily life in town and country. This deceptively modest art-form involves a technique whereby the image is rendered in paint on the back of a sheet of glass; the finished work is viewed from the other side, thus taking full advantage of the transparency and luminosity of the glass. This popular art-form emerged by the end of the 19th century, and was at first limited to Islamic themes painted by anonymous craftsmen; gradually, however, portraiture, landscapes, genre scenes and other subjects came to be included in the repertory. In recent years some artists have become celebrities, and reverse-glass paintings are now bought by collectors from many parts of the world. Senegal Behind Glass is the first comprehensive survey of Senegalese reverse-glass painting ever to appear, and it includes some of the earliest surviving examples as well as providing a rich selection of works by the best recent artists, among them Gora Mbengue, Babacar Lo, Mor Gueye, Ibrahima Sall and Alexis Ngom. The Introduction fully sets out the particular historical and thematic issues that bear on the genesis and development of this art-form, while over 150 plates reproduced in full colour carry commentaries that elucidate the intriguing local customs, tales and proverbs these remarkably innovative artists have captured behind glass.
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Editorial Reviews
Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French
Original Language: French
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice photos, thats all.,
By The Djeli (New York City) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Senegal Behind Glass: Images of Religious and Daily Life (Annales. Sciences Humaines, V. 143.) (Hardcover)
Before saying anything about Senegalese glass painting the author makes clear, quite inaccurately, that Africans have not traditional art. This myth that all African art is for religous purposes is inane when recognizing that European art was also primarily religious. Serving the same purpose, to inspire and impress. Not to mention that much of African art is not solely religious, but royal arts,etc.
The author claims that African art was static and not allowing change and thus not art. For one, it was no more static than Europe was bent on realism (how much more static can u get) and religious or royal scenes. But in fact there are numerous examples of great variation even in the same ethnic group or city) that proves Africans gave way for individuality in its classical art. This ignorant perspective is the view this book is written it. The author attempts to downplay Senegalese civilization by claiming how horrific it is for them to "sell their African brothers" in the past. Any historian will tell you quickly that the Senegalese, like most Africans, were not selling their brothers, but rival nations. The notion of a black family is as contemporary as one of a white family. It did not exist at that time. During the same time, Whites, like the Venetians, were selling other whites into slavery to North Africans, but it would be propagandist of me to try to paint a false image of them selling their "European brothers". The author knows better, but like a lot of scholarship on Africa, it is vital that the continent be pictured as having "needed European intervention". But hey, photos of works that are hard to find any other place force me to give it my vote.
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