Thomas Gainsborough (British, 1727-1788) --- --- Ignatius Sancho 1768
Sancho (c.1729-1780) was enslaved and taken to England as a child. Defiant, he educated himself and escaped slavery, working first as an upper servant for a noble household, and later as a shopkeeper while writing and composing music. Published after his death, his letters gained him wide fame for their wit and humanity. Sancho is not shown as a servant, but as a self-confident man of status. Gainsborough’s free touch – skilled, yet seemingly effortless – compliments this sense of self-assurance.
Thomas Gainsborough (British, 1727-1788) --- --- Ignatius Sancho 1768
Sancho (c.1729-1780) was enslaved and taken to England as a child. Defiant, he educated himself and escaped slavery, working first as an upper servant for a noble household, and later as a shopkeeper while writing and composing music. Published after his death, his letters gained him wide fame for their wit and humanity. Sancho is not shown as a servant, but as a self-confident man of status. Gainsborough’s free touch – skilled, yet seemingly effortless – compliments this sense of self-assurance.