A man in chains, Before 1849

Joseph Fussell (1785 - 1849)

RA Collection: Art

This object contains visual material that may be upsetting or offensive. Where possible, we are in the process of providing additional information about the object to contextualise its content, production and meaning in the society and era in which it was created.

We continuously work to improve the documentation and presentation of our online Collections. If you have any comments or additional information about the object, please contact us at library@royalacademy.org.uk.

This watercolour drawing shows a man of African origin, chained and sitting on a rock or mound. The background evokes a tropical environment and this is possibly a depiction of an enslaved man. Although slavery was abolished in Britain in 1807, it continued across the British Empire until 1833 and in parts of the United States until 1865. It is not known whether this image was drawn from life, from a model sitting for the artist or from the artist's imagination.