Ethiopian Art
The art of Ethiopia has been influenced by Christianity since the fourth century. Although some significant works have been destroyed, stolen or lost over time, remaining collections show a rich artistic tradition.
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Traditional Painting
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Ethiopian painting was historically commissioned by the government and created by monks and other clergy. Certain patterns are characteristic of traditional Ethiopian paintings: two-dimensional perspective, stylized facial expressions and bright color with black outlines. Subjects were often significant Christian figures depicted in Ethiopian surroundings, giving scholars insight into the nation's history.
Contemporary Ethiopian Painting
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Ethiopian painting shifted to depict more secular events beginning in the 1930s. Modern Ethiopian painters tend to explore individual techniques, rejecting the idea of a national style.
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Ethiopian Architecture
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Lack of surviving documentation makes a precise timeline unclear, however, between the 13th and 16th centuries Ethiopian governments supported the creation of lavishly decorated Christian churches featuring interior metalwork, wall paintings and textiles. Some commissions were accepted by European artists, who "exposed Ethiopian artists to new mediums, technologies and aesthetic sensibilities," says the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Exterior architecture was also unique, with some churches famously carved out of rock.
Sculpture
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Traditional Ethiopian sculpture was generally limited to the creation of intricate metalwork crosses of various size. According to the New York Sun, Ethiopia was unlike other countries in Africa for focusing on painting rather than sculpture.
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References
- Hill Museum & Manuscript Library: Ethiopian Painting
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
- Debre Hayq Ethiopian Art Gallery: Artists Groups of the 1990s: Motivating Factors Behind Contemporary Ethiopian Art
- Metropolitan Museum of Art: African Christianity in Ethiopia
- Maureen Mullarkey: Light and Shadow: Ethiopian sacred art at the Museum of Biblical Art
- Photo Credit the cross image by Igor Shootov from Fotolia.com
