The Captive Slave (Ira Aldridge)
John Philip Simpson, 1827
This painting by John Philip Simpson is both a powerful abolitionist statement and a striking portrait of the celebrated Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge. A freeborn American, Aldridge became the first Black man to play Othello on the London stage in 1833. Simpson’s painting highlights Aldridge’s gifts of expression as a tragic actor.
| Artist | John Philip Simpson (English, 1782–1847) |
|---|---|
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Size | 127 × 101.5 cm (50 × 40 in.); Framed: 167.1 × 141.7 cm (65 3/4 × 55 3/4 in.) |
| Origin | England |
| Type | Painting |
| Museum | Art Institute of Chicago · museum page |
| Rights | Public domain (CC0): free to download, print and hang. |
The original is 40 × 50 in. Will it fit your wall? →
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Image, title, dates, medium and the note are the Art Institute of Chicago's own records, released under CC0; nothing on this page is written by us beyond the links.