African Painted Houses

by Gary N. Van Wyk

This is a study of the ancient and extraordinary tradition of mural painting among the Basotho people of Lesotho. The brilliant and complex designs are painted by Basotho women on the earthen walls of their homes, and are not merely decorations, but appeals to the spirits of ancestors who live in the earth for peace, for plenty and for rain, which feeds the crops the women tend. The murals, which wash away and must be repainted every year, also express...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810919907
• ISBN13: 9780810919907
• Release Date: March 1998
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 4.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 9.3" x 10.5"
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

WOW - great book!!! Wonderful art, beautiful color pics

This is really a wonderful book! I bought it because it looked like it had nice color pictures, and it turned out they're fantastic! I'm an artist and I just LOVE these beautiful painted houses. It also looks like it has a lot of good information in the narrative, but so far all I've done is look at the great color pics. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Women's art as a poltical message

African Painted Houses is filled with not only beautiful photographs of dwellings, but reminds us of a time not to far ago where South Africa was filled with distress, social and political upheavel, and when women were meant to be at home. Women are still told to stay at home, and these African women took it upon themselves to go against the social status quo and speak there minds in an amazing artistic manner. African Painted Houses will enlighten you to the true nature of the protest against the Apartheid. When the African men were out fighting for independence and when the African men were prisoned and not home, who maintained the house? who maintained the continuing fight against the Apartheid...it was women. African painted Houses is an easy read and will fill your minds from a world that is so far from ours but the messages are so close to the heart. Women have voices and in this book, women's voices are projected into a beautiful masterpieces.

a visual feast for the eyes

This book is full of wonderful photographs of African Painted houses. The verbage is complete in explaining the significance of the illustrations from a historical and present day view. This is a facinating rich culture. The use of patterns and color, and their meaning come together in an easy to understand format. This a book I can pick up and read for hours at a time or peruse for minutes.