Untitled #413,

1956–57

During the years leading up to Mali’s independence from French colonial rule in 1960, a migration from the country’s rural to urban areas was taking place. In his photography studio in the booming city of Bamako, Keïta became known for his pocket-size portraits of local clients for personal, domestic, or identification purposes. As Keïta’s international acclaim grew in the late 1990s, gallery owners and collectors revisited his negatives and made enlargements for display. Here the subject, wearing a Western-style polka-dot dress, poses in front of a swirling arabesque backdrop. Her accessories, particularly the watch, were likely borrowed from Keïta’s cache of props with which patrons were free to adorn themselves.