
Written by Kimberley Aparisio
Edited by Katya Zabelski
Illustrated by Holly Summerson
In the summer of 2021, I wandered into Kenwood House, a stately home situated in the middle of Hampstead Heath, North London. Therein, I encountered this image.
Princess Henrietta of Lorraine, attended by a page (1634) by Van Dyck
The portrait provoked thoughts about the infantilisation of black men and the reinforcement of spurious inferiority through images and media. I continued to make my way through the gallery, where I came upon the only other historical portrait of a black person.