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Gorée
Drawing of Gorée Island, off the coast of Senegal which from the 15th to the 19th century was one of the largest slave-trading centres on the African coast. Ruled in succession by the Portuguese, Dutch, English and French, this drawing was made in 1815 when Gorée Island was under British control. It was held by the British from 1809 to 1816 during the Napoleonic Wars before being officially returned to France in 1817.
Its architecture is characterised by the contrast and segregation between the inhumane quarters where enslaved Africans were imprisoned and the elegant houses of the slave traders. It became a memorial museum in 1962 and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978 for the way it serves as a powerful reminder of human exploitation and a poignant memorial to the brutality of the slave trade.
Dated, monogrammed and watermarked 1814. Part of the Michael Graham-Stewart slavery collection.
Its architecture is characterised by the contrast and segregation between the inhumane quarters where enslaved Africans were imprisoned and the elegant houses of the slave traders. It became a memorial museum in 1962 and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978 for the way it serves as a powerful reminder of human exploitation and a poignant memorial to the brutality of the slave trade.
Dated, monogrammed and watermarked 1814. Part of the Michael Graham-Stewart slavery collection.
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Object details
| ID: | ZBA2640 |
|---|---|
| Collection: | Fine art |
| Type: | Drawing |
| Materials: | Ink; Wash |
| Display location: | Not on display |
| Creator: | Randle, Charles |
| Date made: | 15 November 1815 |
| People: | Randle, Charles |
| Credit: | National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Michael Graham-Stewart Slavery Collection. Acquired with the assistance of the Heritage Lottery Fund |
| Measurements: | Sheet: 178 mm x 316 mm; Image: 118 mm x 245 mm; Mount: 320 mm x 484 mm |