#gustavklimt — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

"Portrait of Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona," Gustav Klimt, 1897.

Klimt (1862-1918) is ultra-famous, of course, & I've talked about him dozens of times before.

Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona had been the leader of the Osu tribe in what is now Ghana. When Klimt painted this, Dowuona, along with some of his people, were exhibits in a "human zoo" in Vienna. (If that sounds squicky, that's because it was.) This exhibit had them in a simulated African village in Vienna's Zoological Garden during the summer of 1896, & basically seems to have been a way for white Europeans to gawk at "primitive" Africans & feel superior to them.

It's assumed that Klimt became acquainted with the Prince there & later painted this portrait. I can find no biographical information about him, but Klimt depicts him with dignity.

This painting was considered lost until last year. It vanished in 1940, & not until 2023 did an Austrian couple come forward with it. It was in poor condition & dirty, with a crude frame, but after it was cleaned & restored, it was clear it was a quality work. While unsigned, it matches descriptions given & a stamp from the Klimt estate is on the back. It was put on display last year & sold to a private collector.

Happy Portrait Monday!

#Art #GustavKlimt #PortraitMonday #BlackHistory #WilliamNiiNorteyDowuono