The Captured Slave - Conservation of Original Frame
'The Captive Slave' is one of the most interesting paintings held by Wilberforce House Museum, and it is currently being conserved by Mike Howden who is a specialist conservator based in South Yorkshire. Through the generous donations of the public we have been able to conserve the frame of this historically important image of an enslaved African. The artist is unknown but was previously attributed to Thomas Barker of Bath (1769-1847), and later to John Philip Simpson (1782-1847). Recent research has uncovered that this is in fact a copy of the Simpson painting which was purchased by the Art Institute of Chicago, USA in 2008. It was painted around 1827, whilst the campaign for the total abolition of slavery was still gathering support, so this image would have been a controversial subject-matter for the artist to depict. The identity of the sitter is not known but recent studies have suggested that it is of Ira Aldridge (1807-1867) who was a great nineteenth century Shakespearian actor. He was born in New York City on 24th July 1807, the year the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act was passed. He was also an outspoken abolitionist, which makes Wilberforce House a perfect home for the painting. The painting was conserved in 2005 as part of the 2007 Wilberforce House Museum redevelopment. However in recent years the gilded ornate frame has become weak and fragile. Frames are often overlooked by the public but can be historically important, especially if it is an original frame. It is believed that the frame for The Captive Slave is original to the painting, so this frame would have been the one that the artist had chosen to present their work to the public. Mike Howden has specialised in conserving frames for many years and he is pictured here working on the frame belonging to the Captive Slave. Hull Museums would like to thank the generosity of the public for donations, as their support has enabled this beautiful and decorative original frame to be conserved. #IMAGE#
