Attribution Incomplete Notice
Collections and items in our institution have incomplete, inaccurate, and/or missing attribution. We are using this notice to clearly identify this material so that it can be updated, or corrected by communities of origin. Our institution is committed to collaboration and partnerships to address this problem of incorrect or missing attribution.
Open to Collaborate Notice
Our institution is committed to the development of new modes of collaboration, engagement, and partnership with Indigenous peoples for the care and stewardship of past and future heritage collections.
Traditional Knowledge Notice
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Artwork Details
H: 8-1/4 in.
Accession NumberGift of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Eiteljorg
Copyright(Iris Silverman [-1980], Los Angeles, California); sold on 20 October 1977 to Harrison Eiteljorg [1903-1997] of Indianapolis, Indiana; given to the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields in 1989.
There is considerable variation in the way the human body is represented in African art. There are hundreds of sculptured styles, in part, based on the tradition of a particular ethnic group or of an entire region. However, some general similarities are apparent in the way Africans approach human form in sculpture: a frontal orientation, a rigidity of posture without a shift of body weight, a formality of posture without casual gestures, and an idealization of the human form, particularly the face, without blemishes or wrinkles. These broad similarities contrast with much European art, which often has been naturalistic and illusionistic while African art generally has been abstract and symbolic.
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Metadata about the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection comes from Newfields’ records and research. In some cases, information may be incomplete and research is ongoing. Newfields’ goal is to have as up-to-date metadata as possible, therefore, this information is subject to change. Newfields collections’ metadata is available under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) waiver, which allows for re-use without legal restrictions.
Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
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