This painting, depicting a former slave as an independent and free man, celebrates the abolition of slavery in the United States.

In the background the Emancipation Proclamation has been pasted over a yellow placard announcing a sale of slaves.

Smith submitted the painting to the Royal Academy in 1869 where it was rejected ‘on political grounds’. The painting, considered radical at the time, shows Smith as an enlightened thinker.

Object description
Type: Easel painting
Location: Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling
Material: Oil on canvas
Artist: Thomas Stuart Smith (1813-1869)
Date: 1869

Image Details
Date: 29 March 2026
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Wide Camera 26mm ƒ/1.8
Focal Length: 26mm
Aperture: ƒ/1.8
Shutter Speed: 1/50s
ISO: 320
Licensing: Image of a Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum asset. This image cannot be licensed.