A new painting of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, the daughter of an African ruler who became Queen Victoria’s goddaughter, is being unveiled at Osborne.
The painting, by artist Hannah Uzor, is on display at the English Heritage property on the Isle of Wight throughout October – for the duration of Black History Month.
It is based on a photograph in the National Portrait Gallery in London and shows Sarah in her wedding dress.
Hannah Uzor said: “Through my art, I’m interested in exploring those forgotten black people in British history, people such as Sarah. What I find interesting about Sarah is that she challenges our assumptions about the status of black women in Victorian Britain.”
Hannah went on to say, “I was also drawn to her because of the parallels with my own family and my children, who share Sarah’s Nigerian heritage.
“To see Sarah return to Osborne, her godmother’s home, is very satisfying and I hope my portrait will mean more people discover her story.”
The painting will return to the house in East Cowes permanently from next spring, as part of a wider series of portraits.
Read Sarah’s story…
The daughter of a West African ruler, Sarah – who was originally named Aina – was orphaned and sold into slavery at the age of five.
In 1850 she was presented as a ‘diplomatic gift’ to Captain Frederick Forbes of the H.M.S. Bonetta and was brought to England.
Aged 7, she was introduced to Queen Victoria, who described her as “sharp and intelligent”.
The Queen met Sarah several times over the next two years, including at Osborne. She was so taken with the young child that she paid for her education and became her godmother.
In 1862, Sarah married a Brighton-based Sierra Leone-born merchant called James Davies, the son of liberated slaves.
The couple named her first daughter after the Queen, who also became the child’s godmother.
Anna Eavis, English Heritage’s Curatorial Director, said: “There are a number of black figures from the past who have played significant roles at some of the historic sites in our care but their stories are not very well known. “Starting with Sarah, our portraits project is one way we’re bringing these stories to life and sharing them with our visitors.”
Source(countypress.co.uk)
Go Girl! Bring out black pride
WELL DONE , KEEP UP THE SPIRIT , AS THE SAYING GOES WHEN YOU FORGET YOUR PAST, YOU ARE LOST. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
Hannah Uzor – a Zambian
Hannah Uzor – a Zambian !
How touching, the Queen’s goddaughter!! She sends thugs to kill her parents and take her for a slave, her country is colonised and its citizens brutalised into submission. Then she’s allowed to go to school and dress up like her masters, and she gets a portrait and a page in history?? Amazing….
Great work Hannah Hasichimbwe. Keep it up .
brilliant!!
Well done Hannah great work speaking for itself
The disturbing part about all this is that a daughter of African royalty is torn away from her own family and environment only to be presented as a human “gift” to a European royal family. Now, supposed we swapped the characters and the story was the other way around… would any European artist celebrate it?
Thanks Hannah for telling us about Sarah but I’m not proud of any of the humiliating and shameful details contained in your story. I’d rather celebrate Black History month by honouring African women like Nzinga of Angola, who protected her royalty and defied European invaders.
This lady is from Nigeria.
Just from the name, you can tell.
A simple Google search reveals, within the same article you copied and pasted, that she says her heritage is Nigerian.
Poor lazy journalism.
Zambians like to reap where they have not sowed. Typical.
@Indigo iwe na iwe that’s how we live life in Zambia. The PF and the MMD gave us good lessons on stealing other people’s thunder
Well done mate we have seen it , it has been in the news, we did not realise it was closer to home
Although I have very personal views about the royal family, I will keep them to myself here. The only thing I will say is that at least this woman as a diasporan is doing something positive to represent Africa. The evil upnd diasporan should emulate her rather than scrubbing toilets and insulting their country of birth
What is a god daughter?
@Nine Chile: Thank you, my man. Why don’t we learn or read about characters from the Zulu kingdom, the ladies who kept the Rozvi Empire and its Changamire Kings, the Lozi Kingdom etc??? A girl torn from her royalty and presented as a token to her masters??? Pathetic!!!!
@Indigo & Katele: Unless this is a different Hannah Uzor, Hannah Uzor I have seen on line is a full blown Zambian….BORN and BRED! People, especially women, tend to take on their MARRIED NAMES, so why are you so confused that her last name Uzor? And I am not sure what “version” of Google you are using, but my “simple Google search” led me to the following Bio about her:
“….. Hannah Uzor born HANNAH HASICIMBWE is a singer songwriter, fine artist and lover of all things creative!
ZAMBIAN BY BIRTH and ORIGIN but now living in the UK, HANNAH is MARRIED TO a BRITISH NIGERIAN……Hannah sang in her college choir in Zambia and joined a group called Royal Melodies. The group was active for some time and did some recording but Hannah left for the UK before any major success with…
Continue…..
the group…..moving to UK in 2003…..”
APPARENTLY, SHE CAN SING TOO. YOU CAN LOOKUP HER MUSIC ON YOUTUBE. You can also read her short Bio on REVERBERATIONS Website. Like I have already said, unless this is a different Hannah Uzor, Hannah Uzor is actually Zambian….from head to toe!
And what’s up with this inferiority complex about your own @Indigo & Katele? You tell me Zambia can’t produce fine artists? Look, if you are out her doing nothing of consequence don’t think that there aren’t Zambians abroad who have done well for themselves. Stop the ridiculous PHD!
Sorry, the website is “reverbNation”
Zambian married to a Nigerian!