Theme of Art Representing History and Memory

Art has been a medium through which people have not only documented, but also shaped history—both past and future. Periodically individuals, groups, and societies have also drawn on or appropriated artistic forms of the past to make statements in and about the present. Art can commemorate existence, achievements, and failures, and it can be used to record and create communal, as well as personal, memories.

In this module, it is clear that societies throughout Africa have preserved knowledge of the past through verbal and visual forms. Histories were often transmitted orally, in performance and from one generation of specialists to the next. Some of these narratives detailed the origins of a nation or royal lineage while others might have concerned legal codes or accounts of village history. Performers, often with masks, were encouraged to manipulate the medium for the most pleasing results while conveying the narrative. A memory aid, like the lukasa, can be used to evoke the content of the narrative it represented.

Important individuals were immortalized in sculptures that venerated the memory of past rulers and court officials. Such portraits are often central to the life of the political workings of the kingdom. The Kuba sculptures of their kings, ndops, were meant to represent and memorialize the lineage of the kings and indicated legitimate descent from the long line of revered kings.

Depictions of past events, ceremonies, or courtly life were less common in traditional African art, but the cast brass sculptures of the Benin are unparalleled visual records. The brass plaques that were originally hung from the columns and rafters of the royal palace might be seen as purely decorative, but were ultimately historical documents of courtly rituals.

Questions for Thought

How do artists frame history in their works?
How does art have an effect on our ideas about historical events? What are the roles and responsibilities of artists in presenting historical depictions?
Societies use art to commemorate certain important individuals in their history or to memorialize significant events. What types of markers of historical memory do you encounter during your normal daily routine? Why do you pay attention or ignore those commemorations? What memorials have you traveled to view personally? Why was this monument meaningful enough for you to visit?
Some historical events and figures remain in the forefront of a culture's collective memory, while others, who may have been as influential, fade away. How has art assisted in keeping events or people in the foreground of the collective memory?
Often art presents certain events that will prompt different responses, depending on who views it, and when and where it is viewed. What responsibility does the art viewer have in interpreting the accuracy of its message and legacy?
In some instances, objects originally used as mnemonic devices to prompt memories become objects of art. What shifts our perceptions of an object that elevates it in such a way?

The College Board has used this theme on the AP Art History exam predominantly over the years. This review component has been designed to help you explore this theme. In the earlier modules, you were introduced to several works that use history and memories. The following list is just a few examples.

In this module, a few of the works that are good examples of representations of history and memory are the following:

Lukasa (memory board). Mbudye Society, Luba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). c. 19th to 20th century C.E. Wood, beads, and metal.
Ndop (portrait figure) of King Mishe miShyaang maMbul. Kuba peoples (Democratic Republic of the Congo). c. 1760-1780 C.E. Wood.
Wall plaque, from Oba's palace. Edo peoples, Benin (Nigeria). 16th century C.E. Cast brass.

The following images from the past modules are a few of the possible examples of the artistic representation of history and memory:

Palette of King Narmer. Predynastic Egypt. c. 3000-2920 B.C.E. Greywacke.
The Code of Hammurabi. Babylon (modern Iran). Susa. c. 1792-1750 B.C.E. Basalt.
Column of Trajan. Rome, Italy. Apollodorus of Damascus. Column completed 113 C.E. marble.
Bayeux Tapestry. Romanesque Europe (English or Norman). c. 1066-1080 C.E. Embroidery on linen.
Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel, including Lamentation. Padua, Italy. Giotto di Bondone (artist). Fresco: c. 1305.
Frontispiece of the Codex Mendoza. Viceroyalty of New Spain. c. 1541-1542 C.E. Ink and color on paper.
Henri IV Receives the Portrait of Marie de' Medici, from the Marie de' Medici Cycle. Peter Paul Rubens. 1621-1625 C.E. Oil on canvas.
Slave Ship (Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dying, Typhoon Coming On). Joseph Mallord William Turner. 1840 C.E. Oil on canvas.
Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Park. Diego Rivera. 1947-1948 C.E. Fresco.
The Migration of the Negro, Panel no. 49. Jacob Lawrence. 1940-1941 C.E. Casein tempera on hardboard.
Painted elk hide. Attributed to Cotsiogo (Cadzi Cody), Eastern Shoshone, Wind River Reservation, Wyoming. c. 1890-1900 C.E. Painted elk hide.

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