Earliest Known British Oil Portrait of a Freed Slave

The Intriguing Story of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo   

The first British portrait of a Black African Muslim and freed slave, on long term loan to the National Portrait Gallery, London, is coming to the South Shields Art Gallery & Museum in South Shields, U.K. as part of its British tour.

Where? South Shields Museum & Art Gallery
When? 29 September 2012 - 9 March 2012

This historically significant portrait of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo is the earliest known British oil portrait of a freed slave, and the first portrait in this country to honour an African subject as an individual and equal.  

The exhibition explores Diallo’s intriguing story, a fascinating tale of faith, identity and the struggle for freedom.