Lufunka, portrait of a young black man, circa 1950

Beautiful and expressive portrait of an old black man signed by lufungula. Oil on chipboard. Unframed. Little is known about lufungula, except that he was active in the 1950s, before the then belgian congo gained independence in 1960. It is not known when he lived, nor when he started and stopped painting. He had to be trained in european-style painting, either in an urban art school or in a missionary school in a rural area. Although his usual subjects feature typical "village scenes", so popular with western clientele, the artist's technique and style show personality and originality. The choice of this unusual subject - a very expressive portrait - the color palette and the application of thick paint stains make this painting a very interesting work. Circa 1950, colonial period, belgian congo.