About

Black figures—individuals, types, and fantasies—have been a ubiquitous presence in Western art since antiquity. Often hidden in plain sight, they have been historically overlooked or their lives discounted as lost to history. Recent events in the struggle for racial equality and justice are inspiring renewed consideration of the history of black people on a global scale. Even the most cursory overview of the history of Western art will reveal the extent to which black people were part of European society in many different roles, informing the ways in which European artists and craftsmen …