Benin Art: Power and Provenance

In 1897, Ralph Locke, an operative of the infamous British Punitive Expedition, stole a leopard sculpture from the Royal Palace in Benin City (Nigeria). The stunning piece, an emblem of the Benin king’s supernatural and military power, now hangs in Middlebury’s Museum. Through readings, films, digital media, museum visits, workshops with museum professionals, discussions, and short written assignments, we will learn the history of Benin art and join international efforts to repatriate Middlebury’s Benin leopard. As the College prepares to open a new museum and expand its African collection, together we will advance its efforts by researching the provenance of its current African holdings. The only prerequisites are curiosity and a desire to effect change through art.