A Village Scene, Congo

Provenance

Stephan Welz & Co, Cape Town, 2 June 2010, lot 312.

Notes

Guilherme d’Oliveira Marques, a Brazilian artist born to Portuguese parents, embarked on his transformative journey in 1927, at the age of 40, by relocating to Leopoldville, in the then Belgian Congo (present-day Kinshasa, DRC).

Upon his arrival, he swiftly integrated himself into the vibrant artistic milieu of the city. During the 1930s, he found employment at Cosmo-Kin, a prominent weekly newspaper, establishing a noteworthy connection between his artistic pursuits and the world of journalism.

He immersed himself in the community that would become the wellspring of his creative inspiration. Within this unique cultural milieu, he directed his artistic gaze predominantly toward the people living in the area and rural life, capturing the essence of the surrounding villages with remarkable finesse.

Notably, the bustling market emerged as a favoured subject in his artistic repertoire. These seemingly ordinary yet deeply resonant everyday scenes soon became emblematic of the artist’s body of work, firmly associating him with their vivid and heartfelt portrayal.