Lot 50: Francois Thango (Congolese, 1936-1981) Market scene

Market scene
signed 'Thango' (lower right)
oil on canvas
48 x 73.5cm (18 7/8 x 28 15/16in).

Francois Thango was a key player in the late-colonial era art scene on the banks of the lower Zaïre River. His mother was one of the Bawoyo people from Cabinda in Angola, while his father was Cameroonian. He was firstly associated with the Poto-Poto atelier in Brazzaville, the capital city of the Congo. He returned home often and learned the myths of his ancestors, which often influenced his work. In 1959, following some trouble with the authorities, Thango crossed the river to Léopoldville in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and worked closely with Maurice Alhadeff and the École du Pool Malebo.