Portrait of a Family and an Enslaved Black Child

In this regal family portrait, a matriarch poses with her offspring, while the father, deceased, stands in as a painting in the background. Delicate hand gestures form a chain of lineage between the relatives. Although the Black child on the left appears included in the family, his exotic turban and metal necklace – evocative of slave collars – as well as his subservient role within the group are important reminders to viewers today that enslaved household members were generally regarded more as status symbols than kin.