Art of Ethiopia

Ethiopian art is immediately identified by the modernist geometric twist of its painting and the varied shapes of its crosses. A uniqueness one finds in the luminism of its early painting in the 6th century, preceding by far the oriental developments of Christian art, and kept throughout its Golden Century (15th century), marked by the colorism of illuminators and the graphics of icon painters, curious about the outside world, in particular Italian and Cretan arts. The following centuries still bear remnants of this heritage. The tremendous richness of patterns and techniques make Ethiopia the most creative producer of Christian art in Africa. This exceptional publication sheds light on this unjustly overlooked art. Ethiopia's centuries- long isolation has enabled its artists to explore paths lined with theological and esoteric speculation, which delight lovers of novelty. For the first time, Ethiopian art is treated in its globality by the confrontation of the different artistic expressions at each epoch.The author's surveys of the treasures in nearly 400 churches, undertaken over more than half a century, enriched by studies of collections outside of Ethiopia, provide strikingly beautiful illustrations, most of them yet unpublished. Associated with new analyses, including those of illustrated manuscripts, perhaps the oldest of Christianity, they offer a fascinating insight on this art and its countless masterpieces.