Press Releases

Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Picton has been the subject of much debate in Wales. The Black Lives Matter movement has provided a space to revisit, reimagine and address uncomfortable conversation that some have tried to bury. This includes the brutal nature of Picton's involvement in slavery, and particularly his violence, cruelty and use of torture against enslaved and free Black people during his governorship of Trinidad (1797-1803). 

The Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel (SSAP) - an independent think-tank representing Welsh African diaspora communities and Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales are working together to reinterpret a full-length portrait of Sir Thomas Picton (1758-1815) by Sir Martin Archer Shee (1769-1850) from Wales’ national art collection. This collaborative work includes youth-led workshops, co-curation and public discussions with wider communities. 

There are items in Wales’ national collections, including the portrait of Picton that are linked to racism and colonialism and the stories behind these objects are not always clear. This needs to change. Our work starts with Picton but does not end there. There are more histories to be re-visited and we aim to collaborate more widely in this work. 

Youth Leaders from SSAP will retell the story of Picton with the aim of giving a fuller account of his history in the galleries at National Museum Cardiff. Working in this way will give voice to those that have been victimised and silenced in the past. 

Welsh-black history is part of Welsh history. 

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