Les voyages à Paris d’Edgard Naccache, Mahmoud Sehili et Néjib Belkhodja

Apprentissage, reconnaissance et « oubli » (1945–1970)

Abstract

At the heart of this article is the oblivion of Maghrebi artists, and Tunisian artists in particular, in art historical narratives produced in the West, despite their active presence in Paris after the Second World War. Under the French protectorate and in the aftermath of independence, travel grants enabled these artists to train in Paris, where they discovered the avant-gardes and abstraction, and contributed to the spread of these movements in the Maghreb. The article focuses on the careers of Edgard Naccache, Mahmoud Selihi and Nejib Belkhodja, who, although recognized by some critics and galleries in Paris, remain largely obscured in Western historical accounts. Their contribution to the Parisian art scene has remained marginal in the major narratives of art history, which have often ignored modern North African art. This study documents this erasure, contributing to the reflection on the reasons for the lack of visibility of modern non-Western artists.