Which statement correctly reflects the 1914 event involving African art in America?

Which statement correctly reflects the 1914 event involving African art in America?

• A. It involved the display at 291
• B. It involved a photography exhibit
• C. It occurred in Europe
• D. It featured European masters only

Answer: (A)

African sculpture entering American modern art in a major public display marks the moment here. In 1914, Alfred Stieglitz’s New York gallery at 291 Fifth Avenue presented African artworks—masks and carved pieces—as serious modern art objects, not ethnographic curiosities. This show helped American artists and critics see the formal qualities of African art as a source for modernism and it also influenced European painters who were exploring similar ideas. The address 291 is the clue because that gallery was a central hub for breaking with traditional European academic taste and for opening cross-cultural dialogue in the art world. It isn’t about a photography exhibit, it didn’t happen in Europe, and it wasn’t limited to European masters—African art and its modernist impact are the defining points of this event.

African sculpture entering American modern art in a major public display marks the moment here. In 1914, Alfred Stieglitz’s New York gallery at 291 Fifth Avenue presented African artworks—masks and carved pieces—as serious modern art objects, not ethnographic curiosities. This show helped American artists and critics see the formal qualities of African art as a source for modernism and it also influenced European painters who were exploring similar ideas. The address 291 is the clue because that gallery was a central hub for breaking with traditional European academic taste and for opening cross-cultural dialogue in the art world. It isn’t about a photography exhibit, it didn’t happen in Europe, and it wasn’t limited to European masters—African art and its modernist impact are the defining points of this event.