Abstract
Combining quantitative study with close visual analysis of colonial Virginia portraits, this study argues that white colonists rendered enslaved people invisible in portraiture in an attempt to remove the “right to look” from the Black gaze. Simultaneously, enslaved audiences engaged with portraits in subversive ways, finding ways to “converse” with them and to affirm their own subjectivity. The resulting tension between Black and white gazes on plantations turned the gaze into a material practice through domestic portraiture and affected the function and development of American portraiture.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
