NEW on Sartle.com: Jean-Baptiste Belley, member of the National Convention by Girodet at Versailles Meet Jean-Baptiste Belley, the Deputy of Saint Domingue and general badass. Born in Senegal and taken to the French colonies by the slave trade, Belley was enslaved until he bought his freedom after serving in the French army. During the French Revolution, he became a member of the National Convention and is credited with convincing the Convention to abolish slavery. Here he is depicted as a Frenchman, wearing the traditional ruffly shirt, britches and coat look that we’ve all come to love from period romances. You can see his feathers, sash, and hat wrap are color coordinated with the French flag, which is red, white, and blue. But alongside his soldier's uniform, he’s rocking hoops, a clear reference to his unique heritage as a Sengelese-Caribbean man. However, this 1797 portrait was painted in the midst of racial tension after a ruling that black people working in the Republic were citizens, which caused a surge of pro-slavery and anti-black attitudes. As pro-slavery rhetoric increased, so did the circulation of racist science, language, and violence. While many agree that Girodet’s intention here was to portray Belley nobly, as a white man it seems he was unable to portray Belley without falling into some stereotypes. Specifically, that D is poppin. The bulge in his pants and the way his finger gestures to it is a clear break from tradition in portraying male bodies, and also exemplifies the racist sexualization of black men at the time. Follow us on Instagram to see more.
