In many of these depictions, the identity of the sitter is unknown. Many were enslaved by wealthy European families or courts, and typically wore exoticising silk clothes and turbans as a signifier of the family’s wealth and status. In the depiction by French painter Hyacinthe Rigaud, the young boy wears a slave collar - a disturbing visual reminder of Europe’s complicity in the slave trade.

Other depictions show notable figures in society, such as Don Miguel de Castro, the Congolese ambassador to the Netherlands, or Juan de Pareja, a painter previously enslaved by renowned Spanish artist Diego Velázquez.

Part 3 coming soon!

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