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Masks and Les Demoiselles D’avignon

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Les Demoiselles d’Avignon
Artist – Pablo Picasso

To compliment this discussion, background of this artist is essential. This artists’ indoctrination into the world of African masks, the Dan Tribe specifically, would revolutionize the art world at the time and has had an impact on artists and viewers to this day. The artist is Pablo Picasso.
In June of 1907, Picasso visited the West African masks exhibition at the Trocadero Museum in Paris, France. As he viewed the African mask exhibition, he exclaimed: “The masks, they were not sculptures like the others. Not at all. They were magical things, intercessors… against everything, against unknown, menacing spirits”. (Walker) The influence of African masks can be noticed in a large number of Picasso’s art following this visit to the museum.
Picasso’s oil painting, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon also known as The Maids of Avignon, was painted one year after his museum visit in 1907. This was the first piece of art by Picasso and validated by art critics where incorporation of the essence of an African mask was noticed. From 1907 through 1909, Picasso’s art exhibited a strong African influence. His art became more abstract and he is hailed as having begun Cubism and abstract art era by the art world. If one was to view his three self-portraits the progression of this African influence can be readily noticed. The last self-portrait was painted before his death in 1972 and resembles a Dan Tribe African Death Mask.
Although heavily influenced by African art as seen in a large portion of his art work that followed the museum visit, Picasso never acknowledged the African influence. This denial has been attributed to the racial tensions in the world at that time. The first painting by Picasso with the African influence is the Les Demoiselles d’Avignon which is alive with masking. Not only are actual facial

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