The Captive Slave (Ira Aldridge)

1827

This painting by John Philip Simpson is both a powerful abolitionist statement and a striking portrait of the celebrated Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge. A freeborn American, Aldridge became the first Black man to play Othello on the London stage in 1833. Simpson’s painting highlights Aldridge’s gifts of expression as a tragic actor.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

John Philip Simpson (English, 1782–1847)

Date

1827

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

127 × 101.5 cm (50 × 40 in.); Framed: 167.1 × 141.7 cm (65 3/4 × 55 3/4 in.)

Origin

England

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Purchased with funds provided by Mary Winton Green, Dan and Sara Green Cohan, Howard and Lisa Green and Jonathan and Brenda Green, in memory of David Green