A Masterwork of African Art: The Dogon Couple

Watts, Edith W. (2002)

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This Closer Look focuses on a single work from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, a sculpture of a seated couple created by the Dogon people of Mali in West Africa. The goal is to inspire young people and adults to look more closely at works of art—to discover that details can be fascinating and often essential to understanding the meaning of a work of art. This packet may be used as an introduction to looking at and interpreting the Dogon couple, or as a springboard for exploring how it reflects the culture in which it was made. Teachers and students can use these materials in the classroom, but we know that study and preparation are best rewarded by a visit to the Museum.

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Titles by thematic category (59)

African Art, Western Africa

Print Titles

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Ainsworth, Maryan W., Denise Allen, Stijn Alsteens, Ian Alteveer, Joan Aruz, Peter Barnet, Andrea J. Bayer, Peter J. Bell, Deniz Beyazit, Monika Bincsik, Yaëlle Biro, Barbara D. Boehm, Andrew Bolton, Sheila R. Canby, Iria Candela, John T. Carpenter, Elizabeth Cleland, Jayson Kerr Dobney, James A. Doyle, Maryam Ekhtiar, Douglas S. Eklund, Alyce Englund, Helen C. Evans, Jennifer Farrell, Mia Fineman, Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, Amanda Garfinkel, Sarah B. Graff, Randall Griffey, John Guy, Navina Najat Haidar, Seán Hemingway, Marsha Hill, Alison R. Hokanson, Melanie Holcomb, Mellissa J. Huber, Timothy B. Husband, Kyriaki Karoglou, Ronda Kasl, Daniëlle O. Kisluk-Grosheide, Wolfram Koeppe, Elizabeth Mankin Kornhauser, Alisa LaGamma, Donald J. La Rocca, Christian Larsen, Soyoung Lee, Denise Patry Leidy, Christopher S. Lightfoot, Charles T. Little, Mark P. McDonald, Constance McPhee, Joan R. Mertens, J. Kenneth Moore, Jeffrey Munger, Nadine M. Orenstein, Diana Craig Patch, Amelia Peck, Carlos A. Picón, Joanne Pillsbury, Stephen C. Pinson, Jessica Regan, Sabine Rewald, Jeff L. Rosenheim, Martina Rugiadi, Beth Saunders, Joseph Scheier-Dolberg, Femke Speelberg, Perrin Stein, E. Bradley Strauchen-Scherer, Pierre Terjanian, Thayer Tolles, Sheena Wagstaff, Stephan S. Wolohojian, and Sylvia Yount. Recent Acquisitions: A Selection, 2014–2016: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v.74, no. 2 (Fall, 2016). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016. See more

Campbell, Thomas P. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide (Arabic). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014.

Campbell, Thomas P. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide (German). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014. See more

Campbell, Thomas P. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide (Russian). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014. See more

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Chow, Fong, Robert Goldwater, and Alexandrine St. Claire. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 27, no. 9 (May, 1969). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1969. See more

Ezra, Kate. Art of the Dogon: Selections from the Lester Wunderman Collection. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1988. See more

Ezra, Kate. Royal Art of Benin: The Perls Collection. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992. See more

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LaGamma, Alisa, and Christine Giuntini. The Essential Art of African Textiles: Design Without End. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2008. See more

LaGamma, Alisa, with contributions by Yaëlle Biro, Mamadou Cissé, David C. Conrad, Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Roderick McIntosh, Paulo F. de Moraes Farias, Giulia Paoletti, and Ibrahima Thiaw. Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2020. See more

LaGamma, Alisa. Heroic Africans: Legendary Leaders, Iconic Sculptures. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011. See more

Paoletti, Giulia and Yaëlle Biro."Photographic Portraiture in West Africa: Notes from 'In and Out of the Studio'": Metropolitan Museum Journal, v. 51 (2016). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. See more

Ross, Doran H. "The Heraldic Lion in Akan Art: A Study of Motif Assimilation in Southern Ghana." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 16 (1981). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1981. See more

Vogel, Susan Mullin. "Art and Politics: A Staff from the Court of Benin, West Africa." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 13 (1978). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1978. See more

Watts, Edith W. A Masterwork of African Art: The Dogon Couple. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002.

Online Titles

"African Lost-Wax Casting: Bronze, Copper, and Brass." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

"African Lost-Wax Casting: The Tada Figure." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

"African Rock Art of the Northern Zone." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

"Ife Terracottas (1000–1400 A.D.)." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

"Igbo-Ukwu (ca. 9th century)." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

Apley, Alice. "African Lost-Wax Casting." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

Biro, Yaëlle. "Bundle of Emotions." 82nd & Fifth. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2013. See more

Bortolot, Alexander Ives. "Art of the Asante Kingdom." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

Bortolot, Alexander Ives. "Asante Royal Funerary Arts." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

Bortolot, Alexander Ives. "Asante Textile Arts." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

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Bortolot, Alexander Ives. "Origins and Empire: The Benin, Owo, and Ijebu Kingdoms." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

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Bortolot, Alexander Ives. "Portraits of African Leadership." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

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Bortolot, Alexander Ives. "Portraits of African Leadership: Memorials." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

Bortolot, Alexander Ives. "Portraits of African Leadership: Royal Ancestors." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

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Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. "The Empires of the Western Sudan: Ghana Empire." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. "The Empires of the Western Sudan: Mali Empire." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

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Titles by author (9)

Edith W. Watts

Print Titles

Benzel, Kim, Sarah B. Graff, Yelena Rakic, and Edith W. Watts. Art of the Ancient Near East: A Resource for Educators. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2010. See more

Kossak, Steven M., ed., and Edith W. Watts. The Art of South and Southeast Asia: A Resource for Educators. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2001. See more

Morales, Esther M. A Masterwork of Byzantine Art: The David Plates, the Story of David and Goliath. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2001. See more

Thompson, Nancy L., Felicia Blum, Michael Norris, and Edith Watts. Roman Art: A Resource for Educators. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2007. See more

Watts, Edith W. A Masterwork of African Art: The Dogon Couple. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002.

Watts, Edith W. A Young Person's Guide to European Arms and Armor in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1982.

Watts, Edith W. The Art of Ancient Egypt: A Resource for Educators. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1998. See more

Online Titles

Watts, Edie. "Bugs." Connections. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 6/15/2011. See more

Watts, Edith. "Couples in Art." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. See more

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