Image of the Black in the National Gallery. From the margins to the centre.From objects and subjects of economic capital ;to creators and definers of cultural capital.Our African focused tour of the National Gallery reveals the many and varied Black presences to be found in the paintings and works on display from 1500’s to 1900’s. The tour looks at why they are there, what they meant in their time and what they mean to us today. We will cover:
- African Kings and Queens
- The Moor’s head
- Musicians and Entertainers
- Faces in a crowd
- Artists
- Servants and slaves
Meet point is emailed after booking. Walk lasts two hours. Watch review here http://bit.ly/2u7Rl6h
The National Gallery contains one of the greatest collections of White Western European Art in the world. In the approximately 2,300 works in its collection there is an explicit Black presence in around 50 works with an equal number having an implicit Black presence. We will examine the different presences from Kings and Queens, musicians, servants, entertainers to anonymous faces in a crowd. We will look at how that Black presence in White Western European art has been seen or not seen depending on the country and the century. Michael Ohajuru takes you virtually round the Gallery introducing you to many different works of art revealing their black presence to you: from subjects of economic capital to creators of cultural capital; musicians, kings, slaves, servants, saints and artists, sometimes just as people. You’ll be introduced to the religious, cultural and social significance of the often-hidden black presence in the works on display in the National Gallery in London, by the end of the presentation you’ll be able to analyse the Black presence in other pictures