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Rare Portraits of Enslaved Mississippians Displayed Together at Mississippi Museum of Art

September 15, 2025

The Mississippi Museum of Art is now displaying two rare pre-emancipation portraits of enslaved individuals, "Portrait of Frederick" and Delia's portrait, together for the first time. These paintings, created around 1840, are the only known such portraits from Mississippi and were purchased from descendants of the subjects' enslavers. Frederick, who later took the surname Baker and became ordained after emancipation, held a managerial position overseeing other slaves on the plantation, while less is known about Delia who appears to be sewing in her portrait.

Who is affected

  • Museum visitors like Staci Williams who engage with the portraits
  • The public who can now view these historically significant artworks together
  • The descendants of enslaved people like Frederick and Delia
  • The historical record and understanding of enslaved individuals in Mississippi
  • The Mississippi Museum of Art and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art who now share ownership of Frederick's portrait

What action is being taken

  • The Mississippi Museum of Art is displaying the two rare portraits together for public viewing
  • The museum is sharing ownership of "Portrait of Frederick" with the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, with the painting rotating between institutions
  • The museum is facilitating important conversations about slavery's human cost through the exhibition of these portraits
  • The institutions are working to correct historical misrepresentations, countering false narratives previously presented at Longwood mansion where Frederick's portrait was displayed

Why it matters

  • These are the only known pre-emancipation paintings of enslaved people in Mississippi
  • The portraits humanize Frederick and Delia, individuals whose humanity was denied during slavery
  • The paintings raise important questions about choice, agency, and the objectification of enslaved people
  • The portraits represent a complex historical record that challenges previous whitewashed narratives
  • The displays help preserve the little-known stories of Frederick Baker, who married at least 69 couples after emancipation, and Delia, about whom less information survives

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint