Battle of Adwa

Object Details

Unidentified artist

Label Text

On March 1 and 2, 1896, Ethiopian forces under Emperor Menelik II defeated the invading Italian army at the Battle of Adwa and thus prevented the imposition of colonial rule. Pride in this event reached beyond national borders; it became a symbol across Africa of resistance to colonial oppression. The Italian government's formal recognition of the country was a blow to Italian pride and later contributed to Benito Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia during World War II.

Opposing diagonal lines suggest intense activity on the battlefield. This unsigned work emphasizes decorative patterns and has taken artistic license with the number of flags and participating local Ethiopian rulers, the arrangement of figures and the inclusion of St. George riding a white horse.

Description

Rectilinear oil on canvas depicting a battle waged between Ethiopian and Italian forces.

Provenance

Joseph and Patricia Brumit, Sun City West, 1968 to 2004

Exhibition History

Heroes: Principles of African Greatness, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 16, 2019–October 3, 2021

African Mosaic: Selections from the Permanent Collection, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2013–August 12, 2019 (deinstalled July 8, 2019)

African Mosaic: Celebrating a Decade of Collecting, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2010-November 13, 2013

Published References

National Museum of African Art. 2010. African Mosaic: Celebrating a Decade of Collecting. Exhibition card. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, no. 8 (detail).

Content Statement

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Image Requests

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/

Credit Line

Gift of Joseph and Patricia Brumit

ca. 1968

Object number

2004-7-60

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Painting

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

H x W x D: 192.2 x 92 cm (75 11/16 x 36 1/4 in.)

Geography

Ethiopia

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

National Museum of African Art

Topic

equestrian

weapon

shield

male

Record ID

nmafa_2004-7-60

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7c080bc8e-d395-4da0-b33d-a0036c154a07