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.’
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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