National Gallery London discloses slavery ties in collection through academic research

London's National Gallery has published findings from a research initiative examining connections between its collection and Britain's slave trade history. The project, launched in 2018 and titled 'Legacies of British Slave-Ownership,' specifically investigates the period from 1824 to 1880. It originated when the gallery partnered with Nicholas Draper, founder of University College London's Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery. Research revealed that philanthropist John Julius Angerstein, whose painting collection helped establish the museum in 1824, engaged in business activities involving slave ships and Caribbean produce cultivated by enslaved people. Angerstein also served as a trustee for estates and enslaved individuals in Grenada and Antigua. The study examined artworks by Thomas Gainsborough, including 'The Byam Family' (1762–66) and 'The Baillie Family' (ca. 1784), which depict subjects who owned slaves. The gallery clarifies that inclusion in the report does not imply a direct connection to slavery. Future research phases will analyze trustees and donors from 1880 to 1920, along with previous picture owners dating back to 1640.