La tortue (Turtle)

In the late 1920s, a Belgian colonial official provided paper, colored pencils, brushes and watercolors to several local men. Convinced that they were self-taught and expressing spontaneous manifestations of an African sensibility, the works were exhibited in Europe from 1929-1931. However, far from the romanticized, purely African society that the colonial imagined, the works exhibited evidence of the hybridity of the African colonial experience, with such "non-African" items as umbrellas and bicycles, or as seen here, turtles on a lavender background.

One of the most prolific artists in this group was Tshyela Ntendu, known to his patrons as Djilatendo. This work, "La tortue," or "Turtle," demonstrates his playful, colorful style, which charmed foreign collectors and fascinated European artists involved with the movement known as Surrealism. The lack of documentation available for Djilatendo, or other prolific artists of his time, is a reminder of how little has been written about the painters, sculptors, illustrators and photographers who worked in African cities in the first few decades of the twentieth century.

Watercolor painting on paper featuring one brown reptile or turtle and three smaller, scaly turtles.

As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.

High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/