Blog Post #2

Going back to my last blog post, I chose to explore the theme of portraiture of European elites with African slaves. Within this theme, I directed some attention to the topic of trade because these portraits it included slaves and luxuries that were exchanged between Europe and Africa mainly between the 16^th and 18^th centuries.  The portraiture I focus on is the Portrait of the Duchess of Portsmouth made in 1682 by Pierre Mignard. In this image, we see the Duchess posing along side a young African slave holding a coral filled with pearls.

            Louise de Kéroualle was the Duchess of Portsmouth. She first went to England in 1670 as the maid of honor for Charles II’s sister and ended up as the King’s mistress in 1671. Louise was named Duchess in 1673 and bore Charles II a son (NPG). In the Duchess’ portraiture, we can see that she is covered in very fine clothing, which represents her higher-class status. Presenting the slave next to her was just meant to be a sign of status, indicating the wealth she had access to. Apart from claiming wealth, the young African American slave provides a sense of contrast to make the Duchess’ white skin stand out (NPG). The name of the slave is unknown, which further emphasizes their relatively low importance participating in these portraits (NPG); their only function was to indicate wealth.

            The coral and the slave represent the trade between Europe and Africa. The Transatlantic trade was extremely praised during this time (USI). European countries continually fought to have a share in this growing intercontinental trade. Slaves were one of the most admired luxuries in Europe and around the world. Europeans traveled to Africa to acquire slaves along with other goods. On the other hand, Wealthy African individuals were interested in the products made in Europe, although most of the products imported from Europe were already produced or available (in the case of materials) in Africa (Alpern 5). European products presented status and prestige. Europeans would trade goods and materials to obtain slaves from Africa, among these goods were rare corals.

In this portrait we can see the two “goods” being exchanged; the coral and an African American slave. It’s interesting and somewhat shocking to see that these two are included in the same painting. Furthermore, the slave is holding one of the goods that was used to “acquire” her. The young girl’s expression is of admiration and happiness. The portrait seems to be very beautiful and shows the wealth and importance of the Duchess. But was this morally correct? Did the young girl know why she was being used in the portrait? Did she know the significance of the object she was holding?

Sources

Alpern, Stanley B. What Africans Got for Their Slaves: A Master List of European Trade Goods. S.l.: S.n., 1995. Print.

"Louise-Renee De Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth | Biography - French Noble." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Apr. 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.

"Louise De Kéroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth." National Portrait Gallery. National Portrait Gallery, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.

"Trade and Commerce." Trade and Commerce. Understanding Slavery Initiative, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.