Allegory of Africa, from the Four Continents 1660 - 1700

Godfried Maes created Allegory of Africa, from the Four Continents using pen and brown ink, with brush and gray wash, on paper. Maes made this drawing during a time of increasing European exploration and colonization. Here, Africa is represented as a regal woman, seated with a lion at her side, a visual shorthand that reduces the continent to a set of symbols. Consider how this depiction contrasts with the realities of the slave trade and resource extraction that defined Europe's relationship with Africa. What does it mean to personify a continent? How does this allegorical approach both reveal and conceal the complex histories and identities of the African people? And what does it mean to see Africa only through the lens of European artistic tradition? This image asks us to reflect on the power dynamics inherent in representation and the lasting impact of colonial narratives.