Art of the Amistad and The Portrait of Cinque

Tracing the revolutionary creation of what art historian Stephen Eisenman calls "a highly individualized, noble portrait of an African man," Art of the Amistad and The Portrait of Cinqué is built around visual and material culture, and thus does not use images merely as illustration, but tells its story through the wide range of images and materials presented. While the Portrait of Cinqué seems to sit quietly behind Plexiglass at a local history museum, the impact of this 175-year old painting is palpable; very few portraits from the 19th century-let alone a portrait of a black man-remain a relevant part of culture as the Portrait of Cinqué continues to be today.
Art of the Amistad the Portrait of Cinqué is about the art and artifacts that continue to inform and inspire our understanding of transatlantic history-a journey 175 years in the making.