Art Gallery of Ontario curators identify subject and painter in 18th-century portrait of Black woman

Specialists at the Art Gallery of Ontario have determined the identity of both the artist and the sitter in an 18th-century painting depicting a Black woman. The portrait represents Eleonora Susette, an enslaved individual whose life involved travel between present-day Guyana and Amsterdam. This discovery allows researchers to reconstruct her transatlantic movements. The finding contributes to broader understanding of historical representation and personal narratives within art collections.