Black Portraiture and Norfolk

October is Black History Month – a great opportunity to shine a light on black residents of Norwich and Norfolk. Here, are two paintings linked to Norwich and Norfolk that do just that…

Cotton of Norwich

We discovered ‘Cotton’ of Norwich via Peter Brathwaite who included them in an amazing project that began in lockdown. Peter reworked black portraiture using everyday objects – always very creatively – for the #gettymuseumchallenge / #gettychallenge. This has since led to exhibitions and a book, but for us, it educated us a little more about the history – and the black history – of Norwich and Norfolk.

This is a painting by John Dempsey: ‘Cotton’ of Norwich (c.1823), reworked with a recycling bin and West African print in Peter’s basket. ‘Cotton’ was a black resident of Norwich who sold thread, ribbons and cotton in the streets of Norwich during the 1820s. Other than that, very little is known about him.

John Church Dempsey (c. 1802-1877) was an English artist specialising in portraiture, and specifically portraits of street traders, beggars and buskers. His watercolours are very interesting as he portrayed the lowly. Fifty-two paintings of street people include three black men, two of whom were from Norwich. ‘Cotton’ is one, ‘Charley’ another. Their portraits are now in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

The Paston Treasure

I first ‘properly’ stumbled upon this painting: The Paston Treasure, when I saw Peter Brathwaite’s recreation involving Afro hair products, his Granny’s patchwork and family luggage from their arrival in the UK (second image). My first reaction was: crikey, that’s a busy and interesting painting.

Imagine then, my delight when I stumbled across it again – this time in real life – in Norwich Castle Museum, and thereupon discovered its connection with Norfolk.

Painted c.1665 (by an unknown Dutch artist, apparently), it was owned by the Pastons of Oxnead Hall. It’s a ‘vanitas’ style still life, showcasing collected items to illustrate wealth, perhaps with underlying narratives about time and death. Most vanity still-lifes depict objects included only for their symbolism. In this case, some of the items from this family’s collected treasures survive in real life, suggesting most of the object shown here were actually owned.

The little girl is thought to be Margaret Paston, daughter of William Paston who commissioned the painting. It is not known who the young man is. It has been suggested that he may have been enslaved at Oxnead Hall, or perhaps painted from studies that the artist made elsewhere.

Historically rare, over 2m wide and renowned globally, The Paston Treasure is an incredible artwork. And since it’s right on our doorstep in Norfolk, it’s well worth a visit to see it in person.