Painting of Yale namesake and enslaved child back on display

An early 18th-century painting depicting Yale University’s namesake with an enslaved Black child has been returned to public display at one of the college’s museums

An early 18th-century painting depicting Yale University's namesake with an enslaved Black child has been returned to public display at one of its museums even as art experts investigate its origins and campus discussions about the school's ties to slavery continue.

The nearly life-size, oil-on-canvas portrait shows Elihu Yale and family members sitting at a table with tobacco pipes and wine glasses, while an enslaved boy with a metal collar locked around his neck looks on. In the background, children believed to be Yale's grandchildren are playing.

The Yale Center for British Art removed the painting from display in October 2020 to conduct a technical analysis, which continues and includes efforts to identify the boy, as well as to confirm the identities of the others. Over the years, some patrons expressed concerns about the depiction of an enslaved child, but that was not a reason for removing it, said Courtney Martin, the center’s director.

“There are always going to be concerns about putting a work that has volatile subject matter on view,” Martin said. “But I think you alleviate those concerns by both saying we understand that this is a painting that has a context that we need to explore further."