Unless we grasp that the historical process can always take men and their societies by surprise, we shall fail to understand our own immediate dangers, or indeed, our opportunities. Tides can suddenly break old barriers in a matter of hours and sweep through to new channels…
…The same is true of slavery. The surprising thing about slavery is not its existence but its abolition. The origins of slavery are lost in time: all advanced societies after the Neolithic revolution used it to a greater or lesser degree., and continued to use it. What is too often forgotten is that Blacks were bought and sold in eighteenth-century England;Liverpool, indeed, had a lively market. And the majority of the literate population, as well as the illiterate, accepted the institution.
—This Portrait of Citizen Jean-Baptiste Belley by the famous French artist Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson, caught my eye, even though I knew nothing of the model. This painting is – literally – revolutionary.
Not because it represents a Black man. Representations of men and women of African descent in early-modern European paintings were not uncommon, as explained by Carlyn Beccia. But, with exceptions such as Juan de Pareja, assistant to Velasquez (thanks to Susan Holloway Scott for the link!) these had no name. They were simply “generic” Blacks, usually depicted in a subservient position.
Girodet Jean Baptiste Belley
In this portrait not only does Citizen Belley have a name, but he also holds high public office, as attested by the tricolor sash tied around his waist and the tricolor plume on his hat.—click image for more….
From the ancient world onward, a few voices- of philosophers, of theologians, of literary men of compassion- had been raised against the practice, but to no avail. The social impact of these intellectuals was negligible. And yet, in the second half of the eighteenth century in Pennsylvania, in Lancashire and London, in Denmark and France, the arguments against slavery took root. They became a passionate conviction, and men like Granville Sharp, neither theologian nor philosopher, dedicated their lives to its suppression. And with extraordinary success.
—The Slave for Sale, 1873 (oil on canvas) by Gerome, Jean Leon (1824-1904)—click image for source…
Within one hundred years slavery was abolished throughout Europe, America, the West Indies, and being assailed by crusading governments throughout the rest of the world. Because slavery is so repugnant to us, and the element of surprise in its abolition has been obliterated. It is a miracle it vanished.
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