AstronginternationalinterestinCongoleseart,itscollectionandpublicdisplayhasgrownsteadilysinceitwasfirstinstitutionalisedwiththefoundationofBelgium’sRoyalMuseumofCentralAfrica(RMCA)intheearly1900s.InordertorepresentthechronologicaldevelopmentofpaintingstudiosfromElisabethvilletoBrazzaville,thisbookisorganisedintothreedistinctsections.FollowingageneralintroductiontoCongoleseartsincetheinitialcolonialencounters,andCongolesepaintingmorebroadly,thefirstsectiondescribestheemergingworkshopinitiatedbyGeorgeThiry.Thebook’ssecondsectiondiscussesthepaintingstudioestablishedbyPierreRomain-Desfossés,andthefinalsectionfocusesontheschoolsofLaurentMoonensandPierreLods,highlightingthedevelopmentofsimilarbutdecisivelydifferentinstitutionsthatbroughtEuropeanartmaterialstotheCongo.TheseworkshopstaughtestablishedtechniquesandsubsequentlymadefamousinEuropesomeoftheCongo’sbetterestablishedlocalartists.
