THANGO François (Congo Brazzaville, 1936-1981, Congo Brazzaville) (Untitled) Three Men Oil on canvas. 68 x 20 cm. Signed lower right. François Thango, noticed by Pierre Lods, was one of the founders of the Centre des arts africains de Poto-Poto (1951) in Brazzaville. A highly sensitive artist, he sometimes retreated into the forest to reconnect with nature, plants and especially the animals depicted in his late paintings. He exhibited his work at the Brussels Universal Exhibition in 1958. In 1959, Thango moved to Kinshasa (then Léopoldville), where he was hired by Maurice Alhadeff, a studio founder and considered the great patron of Kinshasa artists in the 40s and 50s. This collaboration bore fruit and earned Thango an international reputation. At first, Thango's paintings were simple, evoking silhouettes of dancers and market scenes. However, other themes soon emerged, such as hunting, in which he depicted lush vegetation or animals. His style became increasingly graphic, with a uniform two-dimensional composition and bright colours.