Page 24 - Zimbabwe Stone Sculpure 1st Edition

ZIMBABWE STONE SCULPTURE
THE NATIONAL GALLERY IN HARARE, DESIGNED WITH THE HELP OF FRANK McEWEN
1926 and here he made friends with Picasso, Matisse and Braque. He organised the first Picasso-Matisse Exhibition in London in 1945 and was the promoter of Henry Moore in France. He was the British Council Fine Arts’ representative in Algiers in 1944, and then in Paris from 1945 to 1955, which gave him a great deal of credibility. He arrived in the country believing that European art was on the decline because artists were taught techniques and styles. In Africa he felt the indigenous people had not lost their naive perspective and did not have preconceived ideas so the art truly reflected their daily lives, thoughts and beliefs.
The National Gallery was completed in 1955 and was hailed as a beautiful modern gallery – one that has withstood the test of time. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, in 1957. The first exhibition was ‘From Rembrandt to Picasso’ and Sir Richard Attenborough was one of the first patrons. In 1956, McEwen was invited to be the first Director of the Gallery – a natural choice with his experience in the country, his international contacts and knowledge of the art world.
One of the first things he did was to set up a gallery painting workshop and try to learn more about the local Black Shona culture. He was
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