Africa: The Art of a Continent

by Tom Phillips, Royal Academy of Arts

This magnificent celebration of the world’s oldest and most diverse artistic traditions is considered the definitive book on African art. Ranging from the oldest known human artifact, circa 1.6 million BC, to pieces made within living memory, the objects collected in this extraordinary volume reflect a continent of enormous cultural and historical scope. Arranged chronologically within seven geographical sections, it offers an astonishing array of sculptures in wood, bronze, stone, and gold, as well as mural paintings, ceremonial pieces, ceramics, jewelry, and textiles culled from private and public collections around the world. Commentary by renowned scholars illuminates the cultural and historical significance of these pieces, and in-depth authoritative texts highlight critical aspects of each region. Together these words and images take readers on an artistic grand tour through a continent of unparalleled diversity, and towards the thrilling discovery of not one Africa, but many.

Genres: Art, Art History, Africa

615 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1996

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Reviews

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Produced in association with the Guggenheim Museum, this lovely hardcover book includes full colour glossy photos of African art, ancient and up to the early 20th century, and precise descriptions for each colour plate. A terrific book. Highly recommend.

[Mario Hiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Africa: The Art of a Continent is a great art history book relating to various cultures and subcultures from the African continent. The book explores sculpture, painting, metalwork, and other forms of art that coulf be incorporated into teaching a lesson. The reason why I chose this book beyond the amazing set of color photographs is because there are various issues in art that should be considered trigered by this book, such as persistence of art, destruction, art for art's sake, and so on. Students should be aware of these issues and discuss them.