British Museum shifts founder's bust over slavery links
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Saturday, November 9, 2024


British Museum shifts founder's bust over slavery links
In this file photo taken on August 24, 2018 a sign is placed outside the The British Museum in central London. The British Museum has removed a bust of its slave-owning founder Hans Sloane from display on August 25, 2020. Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP.



LONDON (AFP).- The British Museum has moved a bust of its founder Sir Hans Sloane to an "Enlightenment Gallery" because of his links to slavery, officials said on Tuesday.

The likeness of Sloane in the central London landmark has been put alongside other artefacts explaining they were collected through the slave economy at the time of the British Empire.

"Dedication to truthfulness is crucial, when we face our own history," said Hartwig Fischer, museum director, in a statement to AFP.

"We have taken the bust of Hans Sloane from its pedestal and placed him in the limelight in a case in the centre of the Enlightenment Gallery, acknowledging his relationship to slavery and the slave trade."

It added that Sloane's work showed the "complexity and ambiguity" of the period he lived in as he was a scholar and benefactor as well as a slave owner.

Sloane, who lived in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, was married to a Jamaican sugar plantation heiress.




As well as his collections, Sloane's name has been used for various places across London including Sloane Square in the upmarket district of Chelsea.

The decision to remove the bust comes as Britain grapples with its slave and imperial past in the light of the Black Lives Matter protest movement, sparked by the death of George Floyd in the United States.

Protesters toppled a statue to a slave trader in Bristol, and an Oxford University monument to colonialist Cecil Rhodes is also set to be replaced following demonstrations.

Earlier this week, a row broke out over plans for orchestral reworkings of the patriotic anthems "Rule Britannia!" and "Land of Hope and Glory" at the annual Last Night of the Proms music festival for fear of a public backlash because of the music's associations with colonialism and slavery.


Image source Creazilla image


© Agence France-Presse










Today's News

August 26, 2020

1,100-year-old treasure is unearthed by teenagers in Israel

British Museum shifts founder's bust over slavery links

Christie's announces 'Nourishment for the Soul: The Herrmann Collection of prints by Pablo Picasso'

The Met is reopening: Grab your timed ticket and view Jacob Lawrence

Toledo Museum of Art acquires Finnish Golden Age and 19th-century Italian artworks

Sotheby's announces auction celebrating the history & cultural impact of hip hop

MASS MoCA's founding Director to step down

Bonhams to offer five Asian art sales in September and October

Hindman's auction to feature an exceptional collection of signed jewelry

Czech guitar maker born of necessity woos stars

'Gathering Clouds' photography exhibition now on view at the George Eastman Museum

Nowhere, Europe's first 'immersive digital art space', will open in 2024

New site-specific installation by Krijn de Koning on view at The Gibberd Garden in Harlow

Newfields appoints Frederick Wallace Chief Conservator and Director of Conservation

The Dalí Legacy: New book from Apollo Publishers

Exhibition offers an exploration of the connections between the colour vermilion and the Korean culture

New Gee's Bend quilts featured in online auction beginning today

'Shaun Leonardo: The Breath of Empty Space' to open at Mass MoCA

Houston based artist, Joseph Havel's newest work to be shown at Asia Society

Christie's announces The Marie Curie Great Summer Art Auction

Movie poster bonanza is further evidence of post-COVID auction phenomenon

Best Facilities When Playing Live Casino Online Gambling

Online Quran classes and their justification

The Rising trend of playing a casino slot game

The Best Apps to Download to Keep Yourself Informed All the Time

FARMASI'S GREATEST BENEFIT

How to Stock Leftover Paint At Home

Gaming PC Guide 2020: The Ultimate Pre-Built Gaming PC Right Now

Supplements For Getting Shredded Body

Why People Love to Gamble

The Types of Games Available at Online Casinos in Asia




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful