Man sitting on a rock, Before 1896

Joseph Fussell (1818 - 1912)

RA Collection: Art

This watercolour drawing shows a man of African origin sitting on a rock or mound. His clothes are torn and dirty, indicating a challenging and impoverished life; it is possible that this man was enslaved. However, the subject of the work is uncertain and this man may have sat as a model for Fussell or indeed he may have been imagined by the artist.

A related work by Fussell, A man in chains (02/477), shows a Black man in a similar pose sitting on a rock, but a notable difference between the two watercolours are the chains shackling his arms. These drawings were likely made around the same time and when seen together suggest that these men may have been enslaved, perhaps working on a plantation in a hot climate.