Francis Williams Portrait - Prof Fara Dabhiowala master class on the Black presence in 18th century art

William Williams (c1760) Francis Williams

Deep breath… Prof Fara Dabhiowala analysis of the V&A’s 1760 portrait of Francis Williams by William Williams is simply the best analysis of a work of art I have ever seen or read – a master class  -  period! You can see it here....

 Black Genius: Science, Race, and the Extraordinary Portrait of Francis Williams 

by Prof Fara Dabhiowala

The portrait was introduced into V& A’s collection in the 1920s when a Black presence in a painting in its collection wasn’t as valued as it is today. The work was bought for its depiction of 18thC mahogany chair and table, the Black figure was totally ignored, of absolutely no consequence, at that time. I was minded of the portrait of Toussaint Louverture which came into the V&A’s collection 1833 to be displayed as part of a number of prints depicting French Regal Military and other costumes. Here again the Black central figure - Haitian revolutionary leader, Toussaint Louverture - was seen as of no importance. How times have changed!

Toussaint Louverture (V&A collection)

Prof Fara Dabhiowala brilliant analysis gives us the tools, the ideas, the thinking that helps us reconsider and reflect on that difference. And for me it was his brilliant scholarship and excellent communication skills they really resonated with me on so many levels. His wonderful analytic deconstruction, paired with his charming wit, was a masterclass—making so many essential, important, mostly hidden, connections made manifest. I especially appreciated how he named and dated Johnson's dictionary. I've watched the video several times and will continue to do so. I really urge you too to watch Prof Fara Dabhiowala master class in the Black presence in 18th century art.

I’ve spent this year’s Black History Month presenting on Lloyds involvement and its response to its part  in the 18thC transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans to other city insurance firms. I have been keen to stress that there is no personal guilt or shame involved – that was then , this is now. The essential issue is how do we make manifest we our different from the 18th scientific racist beliefs with its dehumanisation of and brutality to Black bodies. That difference represents who we are today. This change is how we see these pictures , just like Lloyds response to its historical involvement in transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans they make real how we have changed - that was then -- the Williams and Loverture portraits were all about furniture and uniform, Lloyds did not acknowledge it role in enslavement - this is now ...we we think and act differently.

 

Black British History at the British Musuem Reading Room

Reading Room at the British Museum 

I was delighted to find that the Reading Room at the British Museum was open. It’s been closed for several years now, so I couldn’t believe I had the chance to step inside and see the great dome once again. This place holds deep significance for me, particularly when it comes to Black British history. It was here, in 1912, that Marcus Garvey gained access, thanks to a ticket given to him by Duse Mohamed Ali, a property owner who could secure such a pass. Garvey had been working for Ali on The African Times and Orient Review, and it was here where Garvey spent time studying.

One of the books he read was Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington, at the time a bestseller and motivational guide that championed self-help, education, hard work, and self-reliance as the keys to success for Black people. It was Washington’s embodiment of the American Dream—work hard, and you’ll succeed. Garvey, absorbing these ideas, found inspiration in the possibilities education and self-reliance could offer.

Washington’s message, that Black people should uplift themselves from within their own communities because no one else would do it for them, resonated deeply with Garvey. This became a cornerstone of Garvey’s vision, leading him to form the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). The very word “improvement” in its name could be traced back to Washington’s ideals of hard work, self-reliance, and education.

Standing in the Reading Room that day, now part of the British Library, I felt an overwhelming sense of awe. This space had literally changed the course of Black history. To be there, where Garvey himself , with the support of Duse Mohamed Ali once studied the works of Booker T. Washington to develop the ideas to create a better world for Black folk, was a great experience, Garvey's historic presence  challenging what Malcolm X  said, “if you want to hide something from Black people, put it in a book.”