Description: 1957 watercolor painting depicting a young man / water carrier in Africa by Artnet listed artist Vincenzo “Victor” Fumo, the first Art Instructor in Painting at the Addis Ababa Fine Arts School in Ethiopia (founded 1957).Mr. Fumo was, as we’d traditionally say here in the West, an Orientalist artist like Adam Styka. Fumo was recruited in 1957 to be painting instructor by the Founder and Director of the school, Alle Felege Selam.Watercolor on paper mounted on Masonite board measuring 25 5/8 x 19 7/8 inches. May have an old, minimal repair or two. Was under glass but I removed / discarded that, considering safety in shipping. Measures 29 1/8 x 23 1/2 inches overall with frame stamped at bottom verso by a frame shop in Stockholm.Many people in the Addis Ababa area communicate in Amharic. But, Victor Fumo’s son, Mario Fumo, has written some bits in English regarding his father being what I’d call an official court artist to the Emperor of Ethiopia (from 1930-1974), Haile Selassie I, a member of: the Solomonic dynasty and the Ethiopian Orthodox (Christian) Church.The Emperor was a hero to many. Members of the Rastafari movement believed he was the returned messiah of the Bible, God incarnate. Under the leadership of Haile Selassie I, Ethiopia embarked on a development scheme and plans for modernization. Our artist, Mr. Fumo, helped with that.Vincenzo Fumo was appointed in 1963 to decorate the interior of the Ghebì, where the various Bourguiba, Nasser, etc. met for the great meeting of the African leaders at that time. His son, a 23 year old Mario Fumo, helped Vincenzo on the project by creating the floral capitals for the vestibule of the ghebì.Back in the 1950’s, the ‘modern artist’ best known for scenes like this one by Victor Fumo was Adam Styka. Styka had commissions to do artwork for churches in Poland, but of scenes in Africa since a lot of Biblical history happened there. The Addis Ababa Art School where Mr. Fumo taught painting was initially attended predominantly by traditional church painters, and the subjects taught were drawing, painting, sculpture, commercial art and art history.It was the first and remains the only formal art school in Ethiopia. It was founded by the artist Alle Felegeselam with the support of Emperor Haile Selassie and the former Ministry of Education and Fine Arts. It has been vital to modern Ethiopian art as it has produced "its most prominent artists" and "all notable Ethiopian painters, sculptors, designers, and printmakers have passed through the gates of this school."See ‘Modernist Art In Ethiopia’ (free to read online) by Elizabeth W. Giorgis, and the section on 'The Formation Of The Fine Art School'. Here’s what the Emperor stated in his inauguration speech for the school on August 17, 1957:“We supported the establishment of this school because we think that modern artists will combine traditional methods and send their creative works to the modern platforms of the west, letting the world know that Ethiopians are also part of the modern world”.When the Addis Ababa Art School was founded, it opened with 60 students and there were four art instructors, three of which were European. Vincent Fumo was a trained artist, he was Italian, and he taught painting there. The Austrian, Herbert Seiler, was also trained (studied sculpture in his homeland), and he was the sculpture instructor at the school. Students were taught to produce technically flawless work aligned with modern European aesthetics.Ale Felege Selam Heruy (Amharic: አለ ፈለገ ሰላም; 1924 – 11 July 2016) and the Emperor Haile Selassie I were worldly men. The Emperor lived in England for a time and liked the people there. He granted Ale Felege Selam a scholarship to study in the United States, where Selam received his BFA degree from the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in 1954. I trust they picked the right man for the job(s), Mr. Vincenzo Fumo. CHECK MY FEEDBACK AND BUY WITH CONFIDENCE! *** 20+ years of happy customers on eBay *** Please see my other eBay listings for more great items.Message me to arrange for combined shipping on multiple purchases.
Price: 1500 USD
Location: Pitman, New Jersey
End Time: 2024-08-22T22:09:34.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 14 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Size: Medium (up to 36in.)
Region of Origin: Africa
Artist: Vincenzo Fumo
Production Technique: Watercolor Painting
Style: Impressionism, Realism
Material: Masonite, Paper
Time Period Produced: 1950-1959
Personalize: No
Type: Painting
Features: Signed, Dated, Framed, One of a Kind (OOAK)
Subject: Africa, Boys, Community Life, Continents & Countries, Cultures & Ethnicities, Domestic & Family Life, Figures, Food & Drink, Social History, Topographical, Working Life
Culture: Ethiopian
Year of Production: 1957
Original/Licensed Reproduction: Original
Painting Surface: Paper
Width (Inches): 19 7/8 on
Unit of Sale: Single-Piece Work
Listed By: Dealer or Reseller
Height (Inches): 25 5/8 in
Color: Multi-Color
