Paul Daxhelet “Danseuses africaines, femmes primipares, Équateur“ tableau africaniste, ca 1950

Paul Daxhelet “African Dancers, Primiparous Women, Equateur“ Africanist painting, mixed media on paper, circa 1950

Artwork without frame: 35 cm x 51 cm

Artwork with original frame: 54 cm x 69 cm x 6 cm

The painting titled African Dancers, Primiparous Women, Equateur by Paul Daxhelet, created around 1940, falls within the period when the Belgian artist (1905-1993) intensely explored themes related to Central Africa, particularly during his travels in Belgian Congo. This painting, executed in mixed media on paper, reflects his interest in scenes of ritual dance and the representation of African women in their daily lives (here with bodies covered in red earth).

Paul Daxhelet, trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Liège, developed a body of work characterized by movement and color. After World War II, he turned to exotic subjects, bringing back numerous sketches and drawings from his travels, which he transformed into paintings. His works from this period depict familial groups, hunters, warriors, as well as participants and spectators of ritual festivities and dances, often shown in hieratic poses with elongated necks.