Friday 12 December 2014

Black Portraits at RAMM Exeter


As well as Victorian Gothic at the RAMM in Exeter, the museum is showing a portrait by Nahem Shoa of fellow-artist Desmond Haughton, hanging next to its existing 18th century anonymous portrait of an African in a red coat and waistcoat, formerly thought to be Olaudah Equiano and now for some reason allegedly Ignatius Sancho but surely someone else as yet unidentified.   Here is Shoa standing with both paintings


On the accompanying wall panel Shoa writes: ‘Many of my black friends felt when they go to museums the only images of black people are slaves or servants. I wanted to readdress this issue because I think it’s important for cultural institutions to reflect in positive and powerful ways the diversity of our population today.’

1 comment:

  1. I think that it should be changed back to Olaudah Equiano,because when you look at other images of him, the painting matches those facial features unlike Ignatius Sancho. Images of Ignatius show him to be a larger man and his nose is a different shape too in comparison to this painting

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