A remarkable 1831 painting by Emma Jones is challenging long-held narratives about Black representation in Regency-era Britain. Unlike typical period portraits, this work centers on two young Black girls, defying the period’s norms that often relegated Black people to the margins or caricatured them in stereotypical roles. Art historians believe the painting’s empathetic portrayal, including natural, curled African hair and the presence of a book, may signal ties to the abolitionist movement on the eve of slavery’s end in Britain’s colonies. Jones, a child prodigy who exhibited at the Royal Academy from age 10, died young but left behind a remarkable body of work. The canvas, now displayed at Tate Britain, adds vital depth to overlooked histories of race, art, and abolition.
artnet
