Thesis by Kristen Windmuller-Luna
Journal Articles by Kristen Windmuller-Luna
African architecture is having a moment in European museums. Joining the crowd is AFRICA: Archite... more African architecture is having a moment in European museums. Joining the crowd is AFRICA: Architecture, Culture, and Identity, an ambitious and contradictory exhibition at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Hummelbæk, Denmark, June 25, 2015–October 25, 2015. Divided into seven themes designed as points of entrée into the field of contemporary sub-Saharan Africa, the sprawling exhibition includes contributions by nearly eighty architects, writers, and artists either born in or working on the continent. With its kaleidoscope of images, Louisiana’s AFRICA provides many answers to the hows and whys of contemporary African architecture, ultimately succeeding in its intention to supplant media-based stereotypes of the continent with alternative narratives. Juxtaposing architecture’s two dominant global modes—that of the architect-designed structure with that of the user-built structure—AFRICA makes it clear that architectural modernity is an act of negotiation with no clear final outcome. Notwithstanding curatorial declarations that the exhibition would neither try to “pinpoint the specifically African” nor rely upon generalizations, too often the wall texts and labels rely on the tired tropes of the tribal and traditional to create fantastical pan-African architectural typologies, undermining genuine explorations of the local.
New research identifies Giulio Romano's "The Little Holy Family" as the model for an eighteenth c... more New research identifies Giulio Romano's "The Little Holy Family" as the model for an eighteenth century Ethiopian painting produced at the court of Gondär by an unidentified artist. Article available at link.
Artist, curator, and art historian Atta Kwami defines “Kumasi Realism” as a kind of representatio... more Artist, curator, and art historian Atta Kwami defines “Kumasi Realism” as a kind of representational painting inspired by a plurality of sources. Distinctly local, it is drawn equally from Ghanaian and European art histories, mass-produced advertising and photography, as well as from Ghanaian history, culture, and current events. In Kumasi Realism 1951–2007: An African Modernism, Kwami argues that in Kumasi, Ghana, both college-educated artists and those trained in the city's hundred-plus sign shops draw from this shared visual vocabulary. Exploding the categorical divisions between academically trained and “street” painters often present in the West—launched nearly three decades ago by the exhibitions “Magiciens de la Terre” and “Africa Explores”—Kwami argues for the simultaneous contemporaneity of both groups of painters by claiming each as practitioners of Kumasi Realism.
Journal of Jesuit Studies 2.2, 223 – 247, 2015
This article examines the book culture of the Jesuit mission to Ethiopia (1557–1632). Combining a... more This article examines the book culture of the Jesuit mission to Ethiopia (1557–1632). Combining archival and field research, it considers the composition of the mission’s now-lost libraries, the use of books as tools of conversion, book production, and missionary engagement with Ethiopian Orthodox book culture. Furthermore, it illuminates the Jesuit reliance upon Ethiopian collaborators both to understand Orthodox texts and to produce Catholic manuscripts in the absence of a printing press. Using the personal libraries of Pedro Páez, S.J. and Afonso Mendes, S.J. as case studies, it posits that the gradual acceleration of acts performed by Jesuits upon Orthodox books—including collecting, translating, editing, and destroying—paralleled the rising aggression and cultural intolerance of the mission. Ultimately, this resulted in the expulsion and murder of the Jesuits, and the destruction of their libraries in a series of state-sanctioned book burnings that permitted a revival of Ethiopian Orthodoxy.
Ufahamu: A Journal of African Studies, 38 (2), 189-194, 2015
Nka Journal of Contemporary African Art, 2013 (33): 112-115, 2013
Rutgers Art Review, 29 (2014), Rutgers, NJ, pp. 61-83
Book Chapters by Kristen Windmuller-Luna
With John K. Thornton.
An art historical consideration of the Kongo kingdom from the 15th throu... more With John K. Thornton.
An art historical consideration of the Kongo kingdom from the 15th through early 20th century.
Other Articles by Kristen Windmuller-Luna
Princeton University Art Museum Magazine, 2018
Article about the 2018 Princeton University Art Museum installation "Changing the Conversation: A... more Article about the 2018 Princeton University Art Museum installation "Changing the Conversation: African Arts in a Global Context." The installation seeks to broaden the discussion by bringing together works by African and European artists that engage viewers in intercultural conversations beyond the Africa-Europe binary of discovery, influence, or “Otherness.” Installed throughout the Museum’s galleries of European and medieval art, the pairings and trios of works are meant to be viewed in dialogue with one another. Relying on formal and historical analysis, they consider the history of art and art markets, the intersection of art and identity, and shared connections of faith.
39 descriptive and historical essays on a series of traditional and contemporary artworks in the ... more 39 descriptive and historical essays on a series of traditional and contemporary artworks in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Includes provenance and bibliography. Please visit the link in this entry for the most current set of publications.
*Ethiopia*
Processional cross 2011.159
Processional cross 1998.37
Processional cross 2008.502
Processional cross 1999.297
Hand cross 1997.81.2
Prayer book with case (scribe: Wäldä Maryam) 95.67a, b
Healing scroll 95.66
Healing scroll 2012.5
Healing scroll 2011.377
Pendant icon 68.128
Ceremonial whisk 1978.412.645
Sidaama headrest 1986.478.17
Sidaama headrest 1986.478.15
Sidaama headrest 1986.478.16
Oromo headrest 1986.478.5
Oromo headrest 1986.478.6
Prayer Book: Arganonä Maryam (The Organ of Mary), Attributed to Baselyos (The Ground Hornbill Master) 2006.99
Hand Cross 2016.315
Selechas by Elias Sime 2011.217 & 2011.218
*Democratic Republic of Congo/Congo*
Kongo pendant of St. Anthony of Padua 1999.295.1
Kongo figure of St. Anthony 1999.295.6
Kongo prestige staff with St. Anthony figure 1999.295.2
Yaka combs 2011.11.1-7
Kuba vessel 1978.412.661
Kuba pipe 1978.412.546
Kuba prestige cap 2000.620.19
*Ghana*
Akan ring with scorpion 1979.206.152
Akan gold dust box 1978.412.388a, b
Akan gold dust box 1978.206.181a, b
Akan lion ornaments 1979.206.227 & 1979.206.228
Akan staff of office 1987.452.a-c
Exhibition Blog, Kongo: Power and Majesty, Oct 30, 2015
A discussion of Christian art work in the Kingdom of Kongo, written with Mario Pereira (UMass Dar... more A discussion of Christian art work in the Kingdom of Kongo, written with Mario Pereira (UMass Dartmouth) for the exhibition blog of Kongo: Power and Majesty (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, Apr 2015
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Apr 2015
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sep 2014
Princeton University Art Museum Magazine, Jul 2014
Conference Presentations by Kristen Windmuller-Luna
Since the early fourth century, Ethiopian artists have drawn from foreign and indigenous sources ... more Since the early fourth century, Ethiopian artists have drawn from foreign and indigenous sources to create the unique art of Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. Yet, scholars have ignored their role within the global Renaissance or misrepresented their work as “derivative.” This paper addresses the issue of foreign models in early modern Ethiopian Christian art, with special attention to the agency of Ethiopian patrons and artists from the 1400s to late 1600s. Through case studies of Ethiopian Orthodox painting, I consider how Ethiopian artists selected, reworked, or rejected foreign sources. Comparisons are also drawn with the transcultural Christian art of the Kingdom of Kongo. By examining the formal and iconographic relationship between Ethiopian paintings and their European inspirations, this project reconsiders the misunderstood relationship between European and Ethiopian art. Challenging assumptions about unidirectional Afro-European exchange, I argue that—while shaped in part by European art—Ethiopian Christian art remained distinctly African.
What happens to art when two distinct forms of Christianity meet? This paper considers the relati... more What happens to art when two distinct forms of Christianity meet? This paper considers the relationship between Ethiopian Orthodox and Roman Catholic art during the Jesuit Ethiopian mission (1557-1632). Case studies of Marian and Christological imagery demonstrate the era’s two-way cultural exchange.
Born of the Counter-Reformation, Jesuit art guided religious instruction in its missions. In Ethiopia, where the targets of conversion had been Christian since the early fourth century, art further served as a visual common ground in an otherwise bitter religious dispute. Employing theoretical and iconographical approaches, this paper considers how the Jesuits promoted art that built upon Orthodox Christian beliefs and aesthetics, while reflecting their own Tridentine theology. It contrasts Jesuit image theory—in which pathos-inducing images were a conduit to inner religious experience—with Orthodox conceptions of art as a medium for direct communication with holy figures (the Jesuit imago vs. the Orthodox śeʿel). Ultimately, it demonstrates how the foreign and local blended to form the unique visual culture of Ethiopian Catholicism.
Finally, the paper suggests why selected Catholic artistic models were retained, rejected, or transformed in Gondärine-era (17th-18th century) Ethiopian Orthodox art following the Jesuit expulsion.
The Jesuits allegedly exported their signature Baroque corporate style in their 1557-1632 Ethiopi... more The Jesuits allegedly exported their signature Baroque corporate style in their 1557-1632 Ethiopian mission, creating structures singlehandedly designed and built by talented priest-architects. However, these structures have not been examined for the presence of either indigenous architectural style or non-European builders and designers. This paper critically assesses how the privileging of idea (invenit) over praxis (fecit), and consequentially of the European over the African, has affected interpretations of the style of mission-linked architecture. It takes as its focus two key sites built during the late mission era: Dänqäz, home to a royal palace and a Catholic cathedral; and Märṭulä Maryam, location of an elaborate basilica. Combining an analysis of their ruins with a close reading of the Ethiopian and Jesuit primary sources documenting their creation, I argue that these sites demonstrate both indigenous and non-European hands and agency. In doing so, I ultimately demonstrate that prior stylistic assessments of mission-linked architecture were overly Eurocentric due to the false privileging of the Jesuit ‘Ur-Architect’ and the designer. By closely examining the appearance and history of these structures, this project uses a microhistorical approach to shed new light on non-European contributions to early modern Jesuit architectural networks.
Uploads
Thesis by Kristen Windmuller-Luna
Journal Articles by Kristen Windmuller-Luna
Book Chapters by Kristen Windmuller-Luna
An art historical consideration of the Kongo kingdom from the 15th through early 20th century.
Other Articles by Kristen Windmuller-Luna
*Ethiopia*
Processional cross 2011.159
Processional cross 1998.37
Processional cross 2008.502
Processional cross 1999.297
Hand cross 1997.81.2
Prayer book with case (scribe: Wäldä Maryam) 95.67a, b
Healing scroll 95.66
Healing scroll 2012.5
Healing scroll 2011.377
Pendant icon 68.128
Ceremonial whisk 1978.412.645
Sidaama headrest 1986.478.17
Sidaama headrest 1986.478.15
Sidaama headrest 1986.478.16
Oromo headrest 1986.478.5
Oromo headrest 1986.478.6
Prayer Book: Arganonä Maryam (The Organ of Mary), Attributed to Baselyos (The Ground Hornbill Master) 2006.99
Hand Cross 2016.315
Selechas by Elias Sime 2011.217 & 2011.218
*Democratic Republic of Congo/Congo*
Kongo pendant of St. Anthony of Padua 1999.295.1
Kongo figure of St. Anthony 1999.295.6
Kongo prestige staff with St. Anthony figure 1999.295.2
Yaka combs 2011.11.1-7
Kuba vessel 1978.412.661
Kuba pipe 1978.412.546
Kuba prestige cap 2000.620.19
*Ghana*
Akan ring with scorpion 1979.206.152
Akan gold dust box 1978.412.388a, b
Akan gold dust box 1978.206.181a, b
Akan lion ornaments 1979.206.227 & 1979.206.228
Akan staff of office 1987.452.a-c
Conference Presentations by Kristen Windmuller-Luna
Born of the Counter-Reformation, Jesuit art guided religious instruction in its missions. In Ethiopia, where the targets of conversion had been Christian since the early fourth century, art further served as a visual common ground in an otherwise bitter religious dispute. Employing theoretical and iconographical approaches, this paper considers how the Jesuits promoted art that built upon Orthodox Christian beliefs and aesthetics, while reflecting their own Tridentine theology. It contrasts Jesuit image theory—in which pathos-inducing images were a conduit to inner religious experience—with Orthodox conceptions of art as a medium for direct communication with holy figures (the Jesuit imago vs. the Orthodox śeʿel). Ultimately, it demonstrates how the foreign and local blended to form the unique visual culture of Ethiopian Catholicism.
Finally, the paper suggests why selected Catholic artistic models were retained, rejected, or transformed in Gondärine-era (17th-18th century) Ethiopian Orthodox art following the Jesuit expulsion.
An art historical consideration of the Kongo kingdom from the 15th through early 20th century.
*Ethiopia*
Processional cross 2011.159
Processional cross 1998.37
Processional cross 2008.502
Processional cross 1999.297
Hand cross 1997.81.2
Prayer book with case (scribe: Wäldä Maryam) 95.67a, b
Healing scroll 95.66
Healing scroll 2012.5
Healing scroll 2011.377
Pendant icon 68.128
Ceremonial whisk 1978.412.645
Sidaama headrest 1986.478.17
Sidaama headrest 1986.478.15
Sidaama headrest 1986.478.16
Oromo headrest 1986.478.5
Oromo headrest 1986.478.6
Prayer Book: Arganonä Maryam (The Organ of Mary), Attributed to Baselyos (The Ground Hornbill Master) 2006.99
Hand Cross 2016.315
Selechas by Elias Sime 2011.217 & 2011.218
*Democratic Republic of Congo/Congo*
Kongo pendant of St. Anthony of Padua 1999.295.1
Kongo figure of St. Anthony 1999.295.6
Kongo prestige staff with St. Anthony figure 1999.295.2
Yaka combs 2011.11.1-7
Kuba vessel 1978.412.661
Kuba pipe 1978.412.546
Kuba prestige cap 2000.620.19
*Ghana*
Akan ring with scorpion 1979.206.152
Akan gold dust box 1978.412.388a, b
Akan gold dust box 1978.206.181a, b
Akan lion ornaments 1979.206.227 & 1979.206.228
Akan staff of office 1987.452.a-c
Born of the Counter-Reformation, Jesuit art guided religious instruction in its missions. In Ethiopia, where the targets of conversion had been Christian since the early fourth century, art further served as a visual common ground in an otherwise bitter religious dispute. Employing theoretical and iconographical approaches, this paper considers how the Jesuits promoted art that built upon Orthodox Christian beliefs and aesthetics, while reflecting their own Tridentine theology. It contrasts Jesuit image theory—in which pathos-inducing images were a conduit to inner religious experience—with Orthodox conceptions of art as a medium for direct communication with holy figures (the Jesuit imago vs. the Orthodox śeʿel). Ultimately, it demonstrates how the foreign and local blended to form the unique visual culture of Ethiopian Catholicism.
Finally, the paper suggests why selected Catholic artistic models were retained, rejected, or transformed in Gondärine-era (17th-18th century) Ethiopian Orthodox art following the Jesuit expulsion.
In Ethiopia, the Jesuits promoted art that both built upon Orthodox Christian beliefs and that reflected their own theology. They capitalized on Orthodoxy's intense devotion to the Virgin Mary by distributing prints and erecting statues in her likeness, drawing in converts with beautiful and familiar images. In the case of Christ, images were chosen with a more direct religious goal in mind: reforming the Orthodox belief in the single nature of Christ. Foregrounding his humanity, images of the youthful or suffering Christ potently argued for his dual nature. Examples of works produced in Europe and India for the mission will be considered alongside the Jesuit adaptation of Orthodox religious paraphernalia for Catholic practice.
The paper concludes with a discussion of the contrasts between the anti-Catholic iconoclasm that occurred immediately after the expulsion of the Jesuits and the selective preservation and reinterpretation of two of the images most widely promoted by the fathers, the Virgin of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Ecce Homo, as well as the Virgin Immaculata and the Crucifixion.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
March 4, 2016
Full series website: http://www.pbs.org/weta/africas-great-civilizations/home/
Clip on The City of Gondar: http://www.pbs.org/video/2365943983/
Clip on Lalibela: http://www.pbs.org/video/2365944048/
August 4, 2016
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
March 22, April 7, & May 27, 2015.
Multiple dates in Fall 2014.
An original gallery talk on multiple dates in Fall 2014.
March 4 11-12; April 5 7-8; May 10 7-8 (2014)
Fall 2013, multiple dates