A Chronology of 20th Century Ethiopian Art

1941The Ministry of Education creates the Fine Arts Section, and is known as the Ministry of Education and Fine Arts until 1974. Abebe Wolde Giorgis becomes the head of the Fine Arts Section
 
1941Trinity Cathedral is built in Addis Ababa. It will contain major works of contemporary artists, including those of Agegnehu Engeda, Ale Felege Selam and their pupils.
 
1941Belachew Yimer is commissioned to paint his folk style work, ETHIOPIA STRETCHES HER HANDS TO GOD. He becomes one of the artists most often commissioned by foreigners.
 
19411941-1950: Western educated artists Abebe Wolde Giorgis, Agegnehu Engeda and Zerihun Dominiko make several attempts to open a government sponsored art school.
 
1942The Patriots Association founds YeHager Fiker theater. A number of painters work in the theater as stage designers and poster painters.
 
1942Agegnehu Engeda accepts his first pupils: Dubale Gebre Selassie, Mezmur ZeDawit, and Yemane Berhan Tenbel. Other painters apprenticed to Agegnehu in the parliament building studio include Alemayehu Wube, Desta Birque, Wolde Medhin Yetagesu, Shimelis Kabtyimer, Belachew Bekurtsion and Yigezu Bisrat.
 
1944Agegnehu Engeda paints his famous SELF-PORTRAIT, which is considered to be one of his best works. He confesses to Adrien Zervos, a foreign journalist, that he is a portrait painter, not of a fresco painter.The work is a landmark in modern Ethiopian art.
 
1946Abebe Wolde Giorgis opens the first western style art school, Kine Tibeb, at the campus of the Menelik II school in Addis Ababa. Pupils of Kine Tibeb school include Abayneh Dinku, Aseffa Yemane Berhan, Asrat Wolde Medhin, Belachew Bekure Tsion, Belayneh Endaylalu, Belehu Dagne, Dubale Gebre Selassie, Emishaw Temtem, Kebede Zewede, Kenfe Gebre Maryam, Mesfin Hareru, Sereke Yemane Berhan, Teferie Haile Selasie, Yigezu Bisrat, and Yimer Gebre Selassie.
 
1946At the Trinity Cathedral, and the parliament building in Addis Ababa, Agegnehu Engeda paints the meeting between His Majesty and the U. S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Suez canal, and another of the Emperor addressing the League of Nations. These works show the influence of his study in France.
 
1947Haile Selassie I Prize Trust for the promotion of the arts, literature and science is instituted and linked to the Haile Selassie I Foundation. It becomes the most important and highly regarded establishment.