Christian Chromolithographs in Ethiopia

Abstract

Briana B. Simmons The Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC) has produced iconographic religious painting since the sixth century ce, but with the onset of mechanical reproduction and faster printing technologies, worshippers now have access to new types of religious images.1 Today, foreign and locally produced chromolithographic images (or color prints) depicting Christian religious figures are readily available in Ethiopia and have become one of the most popular and prevalent art forms in the country. This is due in part to their high volume but also to their variety, malleability, and relatively low price, which places them into a category of decorative and ritually important objects that most Orthodox Ethiopians desire. Images such as Figure 1, of the Virgin and Child, generally depict Biblical figures that are copied from historical Western paintings or drawings. This research note outlines how Ethiopian Orthodox Christians use these religious images and briefly addresses their effect on the construction of an Orthodox identity.2 I will also discuss how church-trained painters have responded to these images and what the influx of chromolithographs has meant for their business. These reproduced images are part of a continual process of adaptation and change in the religious practices of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. Rather than dismissing them as kitsch or artistic degeneration, this study examines how they are used as aesthetic objects and the value they hold for the Christian faithful. For this note, “chromolithograph” refers to any color print displayed in Ethiopia that is mechanically produced in Ethiopia or abroad. This comprehensive definition includes a number of printing technologies, ranging from traditional chromolithography to more modern photo offset printing processes. The prints can be purchased for one or two birr, which is approximately 10 to 20 US cents, and they are sold on sidewalks, especially outside Ethiopian Orthodox churches. Vendors often set up open-air stalls to exhibit the images, sometimes using upturned umbrellas to easily display numerous prints. It is common for peddlers to traverse local neighborhoods on foot carrying large stacks of images for sale. The prints range in size from small, 3 x 4 cards to large posters that are several feet across.3 Several scholars have examined the use of religious and secular chromolithographs in other countries (Jain 2007, Cosentino 2005, Pinney 1997, 2004, Rush 1999), but only one general overview of chromolithograph use in Ethiopia exists (Silverman, in All photos Are by the Author