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Congo (chimpanzee)

Congo (1954–1964) was a chimpanzee artist and painter. Zoologist, author and surrealist painter Desmond Morris first observed his abilities when the chimpanzee was offered a pencil and paper at two years of age. By the age of four, Congo had made 400 drawings and paintings. His style has been described as "lyrical abstract impressionism".

Biography and works
Congo was born in the wild in 1954. He learned to draw near the age of two, beginning when zoologist Desmond Morris offered Congo a pencil. Through that time, Congo developed a familiarity with his routine painting sessions with Morris. When a picture was taken away that he didn't consider complete, Congo would reportedly begin to scream and "throw fits". ==Reception==
Reception
Media reaction to Congo's painting abilities were mixed, although relatively positive and accepted with interest. Spanish painter Pablo Picasso was reportedly a "fan" of his paintings, and hung one of the ape's pictures on his studio wall after receiving it as a gift. On June 20, 2005, Congo's paintings were included in an auction at Bonhams alongside works by Renoir and Warhol—they sold for more than expected, while Renoir's and Warhol's did not sell. American collector Howard Hong purchased three of Congo's works for over US$25,000. ==See also==
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