African still life Nature-morte africaine

The crucial influence of the tribal arts - especially those of Black Africa and Oceania - on the 20th century avant-garde painters and sculptors has long been recognised. On the other hand, African masks, textiles and everyday objects were rarely painted in a realistic manner and incorporated by artists into their still lives or interior scenes, as in the picture here. The Pende mask on the upper right, and the blue and white Yako helm, are from the Belgian Congo. The other sculptures and the nest of boxes are from French West Africa, which Dequene visited in 1931.