BBC News reports that The National Portrait Gallery has launched a campaign to stop the export of the earliest known British oil painting of a freed slave.
A spokesperson from the gallery says they need to raise £100,000 to save the 1733 portrait of Gambian Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, by artist William Hoare.
Ayuba Suleiman Diallo
Diallo came from a prosperous family of religious clerics, was captured as a slave in Africa at the age of 29 and was transported to work on a plantation in America.
After he was imprisoned for trying to escape, he met lawyer Thomas Bluett who, impressed by Diallo’s intellect and education, took him to England.
Diallo was received with great enthusiasm by aristocrats and scholars.
“Diallo was received with great enthusiasm by aristocrats and scholars.”
Hmmmm.. yes… I bet he was…
I feel a deep sadness when I look at the portrait of Ayuba. He probably never even got the chance to see his family again. And even though he was a freed slave I don’t believe it was all a bed of roses when he was brought to England.
Anyway I hope this campaign turns out to be a successful one.
Categories: UK News
MAD NEWS UK 
“Diallo was received with great enthusiasm by aristocrats and scholars.”
they like telling tales, they will tell us that he was drinking tea with the queen of england.
that’s one nice portrait and its realistic. I know black hair are too complex for painters. see that’s how I mesure those so called realistic paintings. at least the face is proper gambian .He looks like a Pulaar to me.I wonder where his remains are.
There maybe some truth to the idea that he was well received… in certain parts of the UK weathly black folk lived in harmony (to an extent lol) with the locals lol for many years, If you were Black… but educated and came from a “good Stock” you were considered ok in society… Like the Moors.
Even slaves were well recieved. They had something to offer and recipients had something to gain. Were they seen any less as negros? And were all slaves non intellectuals? Maybe not to european or white standards, but i doubt they were all daft. Nice portrait by the way, cuteness.
I don’t know much about slavery in Europe….but i’m reseaching it because i want to know more. But no matter how you look at it…it is still slavery! Nothing positive about that in my opinion. Being subjected to someone because of thier skin color…or what ever! But i do love this picture..because to me it say a lot! And even though he sort of has a smile on his face…those eyes says something else. I just look at Black all over the world and smile…because no matter what we have gone threw …we’re still here…Strong people…..yes sir….
This guy looks just like Knaan! (Sorry to lower the tone but he really does)
Yes he does look like him, the darker skinned version of knaan.
wow…this man does look like Knaan…how amazing….
Sometime back i heard a scottish kid about 9years play Knaan’s song on her phone and i nearly collapsed with surprise. Usually i hear the likes of Rihanna etc.., but was pleasantly surprised with this 9 year old and proud i guess. OT i know.lol