Art Gallery of Ontario Identifies Subject of Previously Unknown Portrait Following Extended Research
The Art Gallery of Ontario acquired an unidentified portrait at auction in 2020. After six years of investigation, researchers determined the sitter's identity. The painting depicts a Black woman whose name had been lost to history. This discovery resolves longstanding questions about the artwork's subject and adds to historical understanding of portraiture.
Key facts
- The Art Gallery of Ontario purchased the painting at auction in 2020
- Research into the portrait's subject lasted six years
- The artwork depicts a Black woman
- The sitter's identity was previously unknown
- The identification resolves questions about the portrait's subject