Picasso and his mask influences

Picasso and his mask influences

From 1906 to 1909 was deemed to be Pablo Picasso’s African period. During this time Picasso’s paintings were highly influence by African sculpture, especially masks. This period of Picasso’s life has been know as negro or black period, which came after his blue period and rose period.

The early 20^th century saw many artifacts brought back from Africa and exhibited in Paris museums, this was due to the expansion of the French empire into Africa. The press at that time, had stories filled about cannibalism and engrossing tales of the African kingdom of Dahorney. Also the exposure of the miss treatment of Africans, in the Belgian Congo that was published in a book, the Heart of Darkness. Due to all the media attention that Africa was being given, It was impossible for Picasso to escape its lure; his imagination was set ablaze  when he was shown a mask from the Dan region of Africa by Henri Matisse.

In May or June of 1907, Picasso experienced a revelation, when he was viewing some African art at the ethnographic museum at Palais du Trocadero. This lead to a heavy influence on his painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. The two figures at the right side of the painting were heavily influence.