WHAT IS AFRICAN ART? A short history

275pp., illus., map, paperback, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2022

ISBN: 9780226793153

Peter Probst on the invention and development of African art as an art historical category.

"What Is African Art? is a sophisticated, insightful critique of the trajectories that collectors, curators, and scholars of African art have followed since the end of the nineteenth century. As the first monographic historiography of Africanist art studies, it is sure to seed lively debate that interrogates the past and informs the future. An essential read for any and all students of African art." Raymond Silverman, Professor Emeritus of the History of Art, African studies, and Museum Studies, University of Michigan

"Wedged between anthropology and art history, the study of African art requires a balanced assessment of the defining moments in the making of this field. What Is African Art? - the first historiography of its kind - takes on this challenge superbly, offering a major critical achievement. This book is indispensable to a sound understanding of the field and is a joy to read." Ferdinand de Jong, author of Decolonizing Heritage: Time to repair in Senegal

Peter Probst is Professor of Art History and Anthropology at Tufts University. He is the author or editor of several books, including National Museums of Africa, Osogbo and the Art of Heritage, Kalumbas Fest, and African Modernities.