jonah albert: where are the black visitors in my gallery? | comment is free | the observer

8/10/2019 Jonah Albert: Where are the black visitors in my gallery? | Comment is free | The Observer

1/23


2/23

An obvious culprit hides in the nature of the National Gallery's collection: Western European paintingfrom 1200 to the turn of 19th century was the remit it was given when it was established in the early 19thcentury. Other institutions would collect and display Eastern and African Art; the National Gallery was setup to focus on old master paintings.

To the minds of those who choose not to engage with the place, it's little more than the work of some deadmen - well, mainly dead white men.

The argument often put forward is that people like to see themselves in art. They want to see stories andfaces they can relate to. And there are plenty of images of black people in the National Gallery, if youhappen to be a Wise Man from the East (as in dozens of Nativity scenes), or a liveried servant (pouringwine for white masters across all sorts of canvases).

What fascinates me, though, is getting behind these stereotypes and looking for the real story. Unpeelingthe onion exposes a far from tokenistic black presence which started way before Windrush. A look at thesocial, political and historical context in which the old masters constructed their works reveals a biggerpicture, a Europe that wasn't at all isolated from Africa.

A good example of a picture with history is Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando by Degas . La La had an

unusual talent; she could support a cannon from her teeth while hanging upside down on a trapeze andhaving the gun red. (This is a stunt that should not be attempted at home.) The fantastically athleticportrait depicts La La dangling from the roof of the circus by her teeth. Here you have a painting by aFrench man of a black woman called Olga Kaira born in 1858 in Stettin, Germany, performing heramazing act.

You don't need a black face in a painting for it to hold stories relevant to black people. The paintings in theNational Gallery deal with major life themes: love, loss, death, jealousy, betrayal, war, peace, power andmany more ideas, all of which are just as relevant to black people as anyone else. But it's also signicantthat behind many of the portraits of white folk in their nery lurks the ghostly presence of an invisibleblack population.

Zoffany's painting of Mrs Oswald shows a lemon-lipped, bored-looking woman trussed in a furbeloweddress. Joshua Reynolds's image of Banastre Tarleton depicts a handsome, if somewhat camp and bouffant,soldier in full military dress. The buried story behind both Persil-white portraits tells of Africanenslavement, Caribbean plantations, slave factories on the West African coast, abolition and slave revoltsin Florida. More history than you'd imagine on rst glance.

Mrs Oswald and Colonel Tarleton led fabulous lives off the prots of slavery. It was those links with theslave trade that helped fuel both art collecting and the obsession with building grand country houses in the18th century. If that history is not enough to entice minorities into our museums, there are all the other

issues which affect attendance - class, education, the immigrant mentality, employment status.It remains to be seen whether my take on the National Gallery's history and collection will persuade moreblack people to visit the gallery. Perhaps the biggest challenge is letting people know that these days, theNational Gallery is not just run for white, middle-class people and tourists. We all know that historyshould be inclusive and not just the story of the usual suspects: royalty, the church, government, war. Itshould cover a diverse range of voices and positions. What's more, these stories surround us. There is afuller, more rounded history to be found in places such as the National Gallery and we don't have to digthat deep to nd it.

Get the best of Comment is free

The most shared comment, analysis and editorialarticles delivered every weekday lunchtime.

Sign up for the Comment is free email
http://www.theguardian.com/contactus/515247http://www.theguardian.com/share/515247http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/jan/07/arts.visualarts/printhttps://id.theguardian.com/email/subscribe?emailListId=2313


3/23

Tweet

Prev Next

Comments for this discussion are now closed.

103 comments. Showing 50 conversations, sorted oldest rst

1 2 3

All comments Staff replies Guardian picks

eleutheria

You also have a policy of not allowing photography, so I rarely go in, instead joiningthe hundreds of people of all races in Trafalgar Square with their cameras. Maybe asign saying FREE KU LCHER rather than VELASQUEZ would get them in?

I go into galleries because I like art. Most art is irrelevant to me in the sense that it'soften beautiful or aristocratic or heroic or mythological or religious, and I'm not reallyany of those things. So I don't think it speaks to my culture any more than it does tosomeone of a different race/ethnicity than me (which you say when you talk aboutlove, loss and jealousy). And the artists might all be dead white men, but it doesn'tseem to put off women from going.

Have you actually probed non-wh ite people as to *why* they don't go in? If, forinstance, they think art is 'white,' why do they think that? If they think art is boring,what made them think that (schools, parents, peers, personal decision)? Do theyprefer other museums? Or parks and gardens? Is it more demographic than racial(social cl ass, education, family commitments)? And so on. Just suggestions. I don't

'

07 January 2007 2:26am

Share

Article history

Culture

Art and design

Art

Observer

More from Comment is free on

Culture

Art and design

ArtObserver
http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2594089http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46270http://discussion.theguardian.com/preferences?key=p/q4y6&tab=all&forcetab=truehttp://discussion.theguardian.com/preferences?key=p/q4y6&tab=staff&forcetab=truehttp://discussion.theguardian.com/preferences?key=p/q4y6&tab=picks&forcetab=truehttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/jan/07/arts.visualarts#http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/commentisfree+artanddesign/arthttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfreehttp://observer.theguardian.com/http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/arthttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesignhttp://www.theguardian.com/culturehttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/jan/07/arts.visualarts#history-link-boxhttps://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/jan/07/arts.visualartshttp://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46270http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2594089http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2594089http://discussion.theguardian.com/preferences?key=p/q4y6&tab=picks&forcetab=truehttp://discussion.theguardian.com/preferences?key=p/q4y6&tab=staff&forcetab=truehttp://discussion.theguardian.com/preferences?key=p/q4y6&tab=all&forcetab=truehttp://discussion.theguardian.com/discussion/p/q4y6?orderby=oldest&commentpage=3&per_page=50http://discussion.theguardian.com/discussion/p/q4y6?orderby=oldest&commentpage=2&per_page=50http://discussion.theguardian.com/discussion/p/q4y6?orderby=oldest&commentpage=2&per_page=50http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/jan/07/arts.visualarts#https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcommentisfree%2F2007%2Fjan%2F07%2Farts.visualarts&related=commentisfree&text=Jonah%20Albert%3A%20Where%20are%20the%20black%20visitors%20in%20my%20gallery%3F&tw_p=tweetbutton&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgu.com%2Fp%2Fq4y6%2Ftw&via=guardian


4/23


5/23

Maybe the proportion of art-*lovers* across different ethnic groups is more in synch?

rathi

May be black and brown people nd it too painful to look at paintings and antiques inthe British museums and gallaries that have been systematically looted for over 500

years from their home countries!


Bix2bop

Wouldn't an exhibit of black artists, say from the Harlem Renaissance, draw a blackaudience? Romare Bearden, Aaron Douglas, Jacob Lawrence, Beauford Delaney,Augusta Savage, et al, and a booklet explaining their connection to novelists likeJames Baldwin and Ralph Ellison, the civil rights leaders of the 1920s, the inspirationof the blues, jazz music and dance of that era?


TDSFBR

I think it greatly depends on the type of museum or gallery. I was in the NaturalHistory Museum today and there were hundreds of black people in there. And Asianpeople too, for that matter. But I have no doubt that a large number of people whovisit art galleries do so with one eye on impressing their dinner-party guests thatevening. Such individuals are surely more likely to be middle-class, middle-aged andwhite.


iamprof40

Maybe black people are not interested in white art. As a white person I am notinterested in black art. WHY DO WE NEED TO BE SO DAMNED POLITICALLYCOERRECT ALL THE TIME ANYWAY, CAN WE JUST NOT BE TRUTHFUL FORONCE? I am not interested in African art, ok?


RameshN

It's probably true that with respect to 'high' art, it will always be a middle class pursuit.One needs to be exposed to it, preferably when young, and one probably needs tobe slightly deluded into the notion that great art is morally improving.

Whenever I'm in London I go to the V&A and the National, when in New York, theMetropolitan. There are few black faces at the Metropolitan with the exception ofsecurity guards. There are quite a few Orientals who visit, primarily the Asian andimpressionist galleries.

As a general rule, the art which requires the most knowledge of classical history arethe most white in attendance ; classical and medieval art, Old Masters. This appliesto the UK and the USA. When the National had its Titian exhibition I attended vetimes, and saw probably less than ten nonwhites. Sociologically, the most interestingexhibit was the V&A's one entitled, 'the adventures of Hamza'. I knew in advance that

http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46451http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2511018http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2511018http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46413http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2595723http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2595723http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46364http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1958933http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1958933http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46347http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2512058http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2512058http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46345http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1534899http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1534899


6/23

,attended six times, it was virtually deserted. There were virtually no Indians orMiddle-Easterners in attendance. However, on two occasions, a party of juniorschoolkids enetered with their teachers, as these kids reected multicultural London.What I do nd surprising is the lack of interest of Muslim patrons in their ne art. Ialso visit the Percival David collection of Chinese porcelain when I've visited London,and even though only fanatics know about this place, the Asians outnumber thewhites when I've visited. By contrast, in the Islamic sections of the V&A, there seemto be a paucity of Middle-Easterners whenever I've visited if one exludes theshowcase ground oor gallery with the Ardebil and Chelsea carpets. I've never seenany Middle-Easterners when I've looked around the Islamic glassware sections in theupper oors.

The Metropolitan in New York makes great cultural pushes for its blockbusters. Forinstance, they targeted all the Oriental communities when the National Palaceexhibition was held, and they targeted the Armenian, Russian and Greekcommunities for the 'glory of Byzantium'. It does seem that Japanese tourists, albeitmainly the middle-aged and elderly, do take the moral purposes of art theoryseriously, for they do seem to venture into the non-Asian sections far more.

Quisling

Maybe we could insist that the works should represent the current make-up of the UKpopulation? So only about 2 or 3% should be by people with obviously French orItalian names. The rest can be burned in an ecologically sound way. Jewish artshould be about 1%. 10% should be Scottish, so we can have stags, mountains andglens in large numbers. There should be a lot more Moslem-related art and cartoons.And of course, we should drastically upgrade the number of Polish artworks so thatplumbers can feel comfortable too. If there aren't enough black artists, maybepaintings that use a lot of black paint would be an acceptable compromise?

I've got a very good collection of Rumanian and Bulgarian art if the National Galleryis interested and wants to get ahead of the wave.

I very rarely attend classical concerts. I'd probably say it is because I am toouninterested / lazy / have other interests and thus have never bothered to learn aboutclassical music properly. In other words, it's my fault. Am I being too honest? Should Iblame someone else?


mandrade

"I didn't see any Brits; it seems that getting British black people to check out art is an

uphill struggle"What do you mean? Any Brits or Black people, or both? Disgrace!!!

This is the state of PC in this country! When are we stopping being exclusive andstart to be inclusive? All of this PC stuff is so racist in itself! Stop telling us that thecolour of skin is a difference or a minus, is not!!!

Just put whatever art you want, being Medieval, Modern, do not class it Black or/andWhite, European or/and African. Let people choose what they want to see based onthe art do not make it part of a race but a culture, perhaps.


Reinheitsgebot

It sounds like there is clearly institutionalised racism going on down there at the

http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46580http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2629648http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2629648http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46486http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2578502http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2578502http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46471http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2696990http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2696990


7/23

National. (Hmm National - sounds a bit like racist doesn't it?). Anyway, it is a disgraceand must be stopped/outed/banned/shamed etc. Or burn it down. It was probablypaid for with slave trade money anyway. Get Lee Jasper on the case. He is alwaysgood for a balanced considered opinion.

D6jevind

ThatBernardGirl: "I agree; I am usually the only one. Most black people I know haveno allegiances to this country whatsoever, so the term 'National' is at once offputting."

If that is how you and your friends feel, then you should move to some country youfeel an allegiance to.


Jochebed

What a racist comment, Miltiades.

Every time I go to Central London galleries and museums I am taken aback that theattendants are black or brown (mostly) and the visitors are white (mostly). This iseven the case with art from other continents, no matter how exquisite.

But in order for art to be more than a bolt-on extra in people's minds (people of everyshade and hue), rst of all there has to be leisure so that you have time to take it allin and maybe come back a few times, and second, you have to be trained up early,not only for visual arts but for music too, and to be offered choices which one you likethe most, and be trained in that.

Curricula everywhere, not just in this country, are getting increasingly utilitarian "so

that we can compete in the world market", as if we and our children had no aestheticinterests and needs. That's self-defeating.

When you haven't the money or the health or the language skills or whatever, to goto places like China and India (or even Turkey) or to South America, places crammedfull with the art of the people who live there, museums and galleries are a veryenjoyable second best. Only everybody has to be told. And to take a picknick so theycan have meal/drink breaks outside, especially with children. It's possible, it's fun,and, like music, the whole gamut of art is for everybody.


mayday1

Maybe the National Gallery as well as other museums should present more exhibitsthat people of colour can relate to. While on several trips to London and visits to theNG I have always enjoyed the vast European exhibitions but the only time there is ablack face in the works of art they are portrayed as servants. There are several greatartists our there from all over the African diaspora so I cannot see a reason whymore works from Africa and black North and South America is not featured. In orderto have this audience you must present them with something that relates to them.The V&A has done it so why can't the National Gallery. Feature more African art andthen you will see more black visitors!


RameshN

http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46663http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2511018http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2511018http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46615http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1740444http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1740444http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46592http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/701392http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/701392http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46586http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1918826http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1918826http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2629648


8/23

very goo coun erpo n wou e es ern c ass ca mus c. ereas s rue anegative stereotypes do abound in the visual arts and literature for nonwhites, this isnugatory for non-operatic classical music.

Most orchestras in Europe and America with the exception of the VPO have a largecontingent of East Asians. Approx 50% of all students in the elite North Americanmusic conservatories for classical music are Oriental, either locally or foreign born.The youngest demographic for classical music concerts is in East Asia.

The reason I mention this is that it takes many years to learn Western classicalmusic. East Asians in the middle class have the attitude that Jews did in Europe andAmerica in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries-- that education was important inand of itself, that perseverence was perhaps more important than talent. There arequasi-racist notions that blacks are better at 'rhythm', yet no one states that Jews andEast Asians are better at symphonic thinking! Similarly, it takes a long period ofcultural immersion to appreciate the nuances of the Old Masters. I never saw aVermeer face-to-face until I saw the duo in the National in my mid-twenties. However,my Asian parents encouraged me to read, and I bought my rst book on Vermeer atthe age of ten. I knew his oeuvre well enough when I did see his paintings 'live',despite being completely self-taught about Western art.

DeathByCatsh

[What is it with the metropolitan chattering class that makes them so obsessed withpeople ! s skin colour, particularly the darker hues? Another ! amusing game !might be to go to a mosque in, say, Somalia and play ! spot the white face ! .Wouldn ! t that be a lark?]

Haha! Quoted for truth.

What I wonder about is why it is that, even though they never shut up about'embracing diversity', Leftists are so uncomfortable with actual difference? So what ifblack people don't want to go to the National Gallery! Why not just let them get onwith it without getting your panties all twisted up?


mandrade

How about if we all paint ourselves with green for one day? It would be an interestingexperience! Perhaps then we would start to talk about our own interests instead ofputting blame on colour or history ... huum maybe with one offset; people that arecolour blind to green will be in big trouble ! :) Sorry for being 'racist' against colourblind people to green.


kazbe

The problem isn't just one of race or ethnicity; it's also one of class. It's a shame thatanyone should miss the free pleasures of the National Gallery. People are usuallynervous about how to act and behave when moving outside their usual social orcultural grouping. (This works both ways - few middle class people would feelcomfortable attending an event run by and for "chavs".)

In other countries, I see school groups of rather small children visiting majormuseums and galleries - it's good to take them behind the imposing facade andshow that art galleries have no problems with their presence.

Incidentally, the attendants and shop assistants at the National Gallery, who aren't allwhite and middle class, are usuall knowled eable and enthusiastic about the

http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46681http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1032816http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1032816http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46672http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2578502http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2578502http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46669http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2293554http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2293554http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2511018


9/23

collections. They are usually free of the intimindating jargon of the art expert. Whynot ask their advice?

wotson

what about making them learn the cello,harpsichord and bagpipes as well and learnlatin and greek?


YTSL

For the record: My favourite painting in the National Gallery is J. M. W. Turner's "TheFighting Temeraire". And yes, I nd much to appreciate about it despite not beingwhite, male or -- for that matter -- British.

At the same time though, one can't help but realize and acknowledge that museum-going (and this especially with regards to art museum-going) tends to be a white,

Western and socially elitist activity. And should anyone need any academicconrmation of this, check out Pierre Bourdieu and Alain Darbel's "The Love of Art:European Art Museums and Their Public" (Stanford University Press, 1990).

Additionally, in response to freenation's response to Jonah Albert's ! I know from justworking in a gallery that the percentage of those from ethnic minorities was in singlegures ! : i.e., "Is that so surprising when the percentage of the British populationfrom ethnic minorities was also in single gures?"

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't London, where the National Gallery is located,possess a population where the percentage of ethnic minorities is higher than justsingle gures?

http://webs-of-signicance.blogspot.com


cleopatre

Congratulations to Jonah Albert on an excellent article.

As a former museum curator, I am fascinated by readers' strong reactions. Thisdebate is not new to the museum world, but has been going on at least since the1980's, when Margaret Thatcher forced museums to become more accountable withthe public money they are spending.

For me, this is the key issue. As tax-payers we all pay for our museums as a publicservice, and we therefore all have a right to enjoy them. Unfortunately, simplyunlocking the door in the morning is not enough. It is the role of curators to try tomake museums as accessible (physically and intellectually) to the widest number ofusers possible.

Efforts need to be made to encourage people to visit - and, as with any kind ofmarketing, you need to offer a relevant product to a targeted group of people. Ofcourse the National Gallery cannot change history and invent a black Sir JoshuaReynolds, or an Asian Gainsborough, but it can ensure that exhibitions ofcontemporary work reect the Nation's current racial make-up.

As another reader quite rightly points out, the other key to success in encouragingthe maximum number of people to benet from the taxes they are paying, is to havean extremely active schools programme (which the NG has). Studies, and commonsense, show that museum-visiting is a taste and a skill that is acquired in childhood.It is im ortant that school children of ever ethnic back round have ositive museum

http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46808http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1567424http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1567424http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46692http://webs-of-significance.blogspot.com/http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1663817http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1663817http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46689http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2418531http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2418531


10/23

experiences if they are to continue visit as adults.

It is worth remembering that museums, like any public service, have difcult choicesto make. Like the NHS and the herceptin breast cancer debate, for example, : howbest to invest public money ? how to share out the services most fairly to the widestnumber of people ? do certain users require or deserve special attention?

I, for one, am happy to see that the NG is reecting on how it can widen its audiencebase and ensure that as many tax payers as possible get the best value for moneypossible from their museum.

Jochebed

Wotson, if you knew how much I longed to learn an instrument "properly", at a musicschool, and I would have liked to have been able to learn the harpsichord and otherearly-modern European instruments, AND an Asian one as well. They're eye-openers and ear-openers.


mites

I shared a moment with a handsome black security guard on one visit- he waslooking at my Indian face intently, perhaps wondering what I was getting from it all?


jammerlappie

As a 'tinted' non-Brit these kind of articles astonish me. Most of the posters havemade the obvious comments about number of black people in the UK and the wholeclass issue. I nd it very difcult to get annoyed about lack of black representation inthe National Gallery - its remit is old western art. We ain't going to be in it much. I'dprefer to go to the Natural History museum anyway, my preference. Why are youwhiteys so obsessed with race? ;)


RameshN

Cleopatre, you are quite correct about instilling museum going in childhood. That iswhere I gained my interest in art and archaeology.

School visits are necessary, but not a sufcient condition in itself. Case in point : withregards to classical music, Simon Rattle the conductor has expended much effortinto school outreach when he headed the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra,and now the mighty Berlin Philharmonic. I believe when studies were done to nd outhow effective this was, there was an increased enthusiasm for learning a musicalinstrument from those exposed to his orchestral outreach. Interestingly, I believethere has been no statistically signicant increase in the number of blacks or SouthAsians attending CBSO performances, or of Turks attending Berlin Philharmonicconcerts, despite his efforts. So, the process is difcult.

In the National, without fail when people see the Leonardo cartoon behind itsprotective screening, their voices drop, they become hushed and reverential. It'streated like a holy relic. There are some artworks, such as this Leonardo, lateTurners, Van Goghs, the Rockebye Venus, the Titian Death of Acteon, which exertan almost unanimous communicative power. But almost no casual visitor has the

'

http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46931http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2511018http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2511018http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46916http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1643555http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1643555http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46877http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1441050http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1441050http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46830http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/701392http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/701392


11/23

, , . ,it's probably best to market the 'stars', and leave the rest.

Right now, the National Palace Museum in Taiwan is holding its post-refurbishmentexhibition. The National Palace has the old Imperial art collection. They have thesame problem of attracting young Taiwanese. Their solution? The rarest Chineseporcelain is Ru ware-- less than 100 extant until the kilns were discovered 20 yearsago. [ London has the best collection of Ru ware after Taiwan and Beijing ]. Themuseum got a fashion designer to place the Ru ware, for this extravaganza, on acatwalk, mimicking a fashion show! Lots of youngsters agog. Their second innovationwas iconoclastic also. The old museum tea room was built to resemble the interior of

one of the halls in the Forbidden City. The museum decided to gut this depiction, andturn it into a trendy tearoom in Taiwanese chic.

Gossip is that the stately old tearoom was sacriced so that the core of ChineseImperial art, the great landscape paintings, were displayed as before, albeit withbetter trilingual captions. No one gives a stuff that the trendy young Taiwanese arenot being pandered to regarding the great paintings of the Northern and SouthernSung dynasties. But as some procelain has more universal appeal, that has beenmade the target of outreach. And the new tearoom is very popular.

GeorgesduB

Went to Twickenham a month or two ago. International match. 80,000 spectators.OK, so I wasn't particularly looking, but have no memory of non-white faces. Fivepercent would have produced 4,000 people I didn't see. How about football where75% of the players seem to be black? Where are the black hooligans? Could it bethat whatever the event, non-whites prefer their own company?


chrish

When I went to Iran they seemed very keen on showing off old carpets in theirgalleries/museums, however I didn't nd them very interesting. May be we should

just put interest or lack of it down to cultural differences. I don't see it as a problem,there are plenty of other attractions Africans or Asians can go to.


gerardmulholland

I can't believe that there are ignorami who think that peoples' taste -and skills- in artis decided by the colour of their skin.

I think the National gallery should hold a major exhibition of work by American andBritish black artists - who have been painting in the UK and in the US since theeighteenth century.

Or is the NG so full of ignorant racists (as is this correspondence) that they don'teven know about them?

An artist is an artist. Their colour, religion, politics or physical handicap don't matter adamn.

07 January 2007 10:07am

jaycee2

I don`t really think it is fair to put an exclusively 'Black' perspective on this-there are

07 January 2007 10:38am
http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/47168http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2255259http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2255259http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/47078http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2455868http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2455868http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46981http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1706664http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1706664http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/46957http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1476756http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1476756


12/23

other 'minority' groups you could consider marginilalised-ie.other ethnic minorities,other faiths, gay people,teenagers,Deaf people,people who visit art galleries etc etcetc. So why should your focus be placed only on Black people who do not attend? Asimplistic answer to your question could be that people -from all races /cultures / sections of society, are just not interested in attending these places. You arecompeting with so many other things that people can choose to spend their timedoing,perhaps that is why.

TeonBliar

Perhaps the problem is that we're no longer a nation. Our economy is run by and onbehalf of foreigners. Why should our old-fashioned national institutions attractforeigners?

07 January 2007 10:43am

TimFootman

Since there seems to be a consensus that this is a class issue, rather than a raceissue, wouldn't it be more useful to place this article in the Sun or the Mirror (readersof which might need encouragement to go to galleries), rather than the Guardian(readers of which probably go anyway)?

07 January 2007 11:05am

kemi01

I have to confess that I have not been to the National Gallery. Why? Because I'm notaware of it having exhibitions that reect my background - I am from anAfrican/Caribbean background. The UK is culturally diverse in terms of people butthis is rarely reected in the arts generally on show.

African art is my interest and my love. I appreciate and enjoy art from other culturesbut the initial pull would be African art. I nd this country limiting for Black people interms of cultural interests. My family and I don't always want to go to a communitycentre to nd activities that reect who we are as people.

In April 2006 my family and I took a trip to San Francisco primarily to visit theMuseum of the African Diaspora. Whilst we were there we also visited the De YoungMuseum, The Museum of Modern Art and The Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts.What the majority of these Museums and Art Galleries had in common is that theyhad exhibitions or displays of art from the African Diaspora - reecting who we are as

people. We have also visited a number of African art exhibitions in the UK. However,these are far and few between and you don't aways hear about them.

One way we have got round our love of African art and our insatiable desire to seemore of these objects, is to surround ourselves with these arts in our home. That waywe are not waiting on others to welcome us in.

07 January 2007 11:08am

curious1

"Where are the black visitors in my gallery?"

Mr Albert the National gallery isn't yours - you just work there. And not very well itwould seem if you waste your time playing petty(racist?)little games like "let's nd theblack face".

07 January 2007 11:08am
http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/47287http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1741610http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1741610http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/47284http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2703348http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2703348http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/47262http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2659910http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2659910http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/47189http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1425302http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1425302http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2255259


13/23

ay e us ng your m n an s s o reme y e s ua on wou e me e er spenand a better use of your salary.

Blacks on average come from working class backgrounds, so I think if you can getbeyond the colour you'll nd that whites from the same socio-economic backgroundwill have similar visiting gures at the National.

Maybe we should be looking at the divisions in society as a whole where Britain hasa divisive and destructive "claste" system of snobbery(and yobbery?) and sociallybranding people depending on which clothes they wear or the moment they opentheir mouths which is not conducive to creating a positive inclusive "live and let live"atmosphere.

I go to the National Gallery a lot and I have often played a game that I sometimesnd amusing. You can play it, too. Have a wander around any major British artinstitution and play 'spot the nice and friendly unpretentious person '.

There's just one rule. The gallery assistants - the security staff - and tourists don'tcount.

amities

I don't know but I don't set great store by the observation that blacks don't go tomuseums because they are not portrayed (except as servants and so forth) in theart. It seems a supercial conclusion.

I am Hispanic (from America) and I enjoy going to museums. I especially enjoyed theByzantine collection at the MET in NYC. It had nothing to do with my 'race'. I have apenchant for Byzantine art even though I'm an atheist and anticlerical.

It has to do more with class. If your parents never took you to a museum as a child,why should you go? My parents never did, why should they, after all they have neverset foot in one and never will. I was introduced to my rst museum by a friend who

thought I'd be interested by a certain collection ! and I was.

Going to museums is ostensibly de rigueur for the middle class. But it does meantthey 'understand' the art or get much out of it; they go because it's a custom.

This is my take on it. I don't care if there are other people 'like' me, i.e., color wise, ata museum though I must say it does affect me to see someone like me as a guard orso forth.

In the end, what should really matter is the reason behind a visit to a museum. Is itbecause you're interested or because it will reect well on you?

07 January 2007 11:34am

Karl123

You say your galleries are not just for the white middle class. but then you hit the nailon the head and ask where the different races are. You didn't ask where the whiteworking class are. The white working class are not cuddly PC enough for middleclass people like you.

07 January 2007 11:56am

DrJohnZoidberg

Don't know what the answer is but just so long as they preserve their standards bynot letting working class white trash like myself.

07 January 2007 11:59am


14/23


15/23

cheeba

I'm glad to see that there is a general consensus amongst commenters that thisarticle is completely misguided in its analysis and misleading in its implications. Asfar as I can see, the consensus revolves around the following facts:

a) Ethnic minorities make up around 9% of the British population, 'black' (as in ofAfro-Caribbean or African origin) 2.2% according to the 2001 census.

b) Representation at museums and galleries will be further skewed by the fact thatthe attendees will be disproportionately middle-class, and therefore under-representative of ethnic minorities.

c) Rightly or wrongly, a proportion of people from ethnic minorities will be less-than-averagely interested in the the history and traditions of Britain, feeling wider ordifferent cultural and aesthetic connections incorporating other regions, countries andtraditions.

Its unfortunate that the museological and curatorial culture in this country has movedso far from any belief in the possibility of adhering to ideals of quality and truth(however indenable they may be) that the only measure of value is numbers

through the door - perhaps tweaked on the spurious grounds of representation andaccessibility. Why should black, 'ethnic' or working-class people go to a museum justto view a middle-class curator's guess at what they might be interested in, ratherthan the best possible presentation of the museum's collection?

Its worth looking at the reasons for this confusion, however, not least the fact that thedominant role of the capital in setting media, government and cultural policy.Naturally, in a city where the population is 40% ethnic minorities (and the majority ofthose non-white), it is easy to imagine that certain groups are under-representedwhen in actual fact they are disproportionately common (understandably, given thatproximity to the jobs in London is related to employment opportunities and is thuslikely to result in a demographic mix in these sectors closer to that of the localpopulation than that of the national average). Witness the "hideously white" BBC,whose leading news presenters (for example) are around 50% non-white.

Of course, the whole point of focusing on issues of class and economic exclusion isto avoid this kind of thing. Institutional attempts to counter-act exclusion on othergrounds are limited to those factors they are ideologically pre-disposed to recognise -for example, race, gender and disability, rather than ideological non-conformity or UKregion of origin. So rather than attempt to micro-manage discrimination from the topdown, it seems a lot better to try to implement a general system of economicinclusivity and let the cultural and social effects develop organically from that.

P.S. Personal bugbear:

It's also difcult to see any kind of logic surrounding the current use of the term"ethnic minorities", which increasingly seems to be used a synonym for skin colour.The actual meaning (still, just) of ethnicity is a set of cultural and social traditions,beliefs and behavioural codes, so the "ethnic minorities" of the UK incorporate whiteIrish, white Polish and white Australians. Similarly, "black" is sometimes used as acatch-all term for any non-Caucasian, despite the massive cultural, social andeconomic differences between different groups. This kind of linguistic confusion onlyencourages the muddled thinking typied by this article.

07 January 2007 1:07pm

Waltz

@ curious1 - "I go to the National Gallery a lot and I have often played a game that Isometimes nd amusing. You can play it, too. Have a wander around any majorBritish art institution and play 'spot the nice and friendly unpretentious person '."

http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/47895http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2442906http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2442906http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/47731http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1535302http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1535302


16/23

And there was me thinking that the purpose of an art gallery was to exhibit art.

Metatone

Jonah, I'd appreciate any attempt to put the paintings in the National into any kind ofcontext at all, especially the lesser known ones.

It's a long time since I did any art history and I'm strongest on the things I really like(in my case the more modern wing). Hence, I wander around the older sections andit's really just a bunch of images, there's barely any information with each painting.

This won't magically alter the ethnic ratio of attendees, but the museum would standa lot better chance of reaching people who don't have education in art if it explainedmore about the works and why they might matter.


wotson

I wonder if those nice people at the CRE attend all classical music concerts to see ifnon whites are being discrimated against and refused entry. They have got as far asthe Scilly Isles and moaned there are no black reghters despite no blacks livingthere. Presumably, in our very own Olympics-assuming they don;t go into liquidationbefore 2012-strict ethnic quotas will be applied to the British team:10% Scots andCaribbeans,80% Whites etc regardless of ability of course.Then of course how manynon white airline and air force pilots are there? Then isn;t it the turn of the Welsh tobe prime minister.


ThatBernardGirl

D6jevind; I have every intention of moving though not for the reason you'vesuggested. Can I point out that I was born here? As were my parents? That my dadserved in the army? That my grandmother was one of many who came on theWindrush to rescue Britain's economic slump? Others have a similar story - and sothe lack of allegiance is nothing innate. You can say 'nd some other country', butplease be aware that I would have no problem supporting a state and society thatdidn't treat people who look like me and have a similar history as burdensome scum.

If you read the rest of the comments, by comparison, I am fully supportive of theNational Gallery and go there often. I encourage others to do the same because I

don't understand the myopia of people who say they are not interested in the art of aparticular culture. London has the biggest population of black people in this country -it is disproportionate to the rest of Britain. If you walk around London, the presence isobvious - so it makes sense to question why a similar presence is not felt in majorinstitutions.

The point is to get beyond only looking at things which have somehistorical/racial/cultural reference to you. I encourage my black friends to do so,because it's important to understand what informs current racial tension - and I wouldencourage many of the commenters here as well; the ignorance of most of theseposts suggests that the majority, who I gather are white, have never bothered toengage in art/culture outside of themselves. Perhaps it is a matter of 'interest' - butwhen and how were these 'interests' formed? It's a curious word because the sensein which most people have used it implies some innate, inherent thing, rather than anactive assessment.



17/23

Chuckman

'Enticing' people to great cultural institutions just about always ends up debasing theinstitutions.

This has been an unfortunate, favored concept in many American museums in recentdecades: they end up with slide shows or movies or other pop trash.

People in a democracy do have a right not to attend cultural institutions, and, equally,

those who do attend and support them should be able to do so without a marketingcircus.

Some institutions will always retain an element of seeming elite that is simply theresult of their appealing to a small slice of society, those with curiosity and keenintellectual interests.

Try as you might, not everyone will enjoy watching The Magic Flute or readingShakespeare.

The one approach that tries to help introduce art galleries to new generations withouta lot of silly marketing or trashy pop displays is for schools to see that all theirstudents are exposed to them on regular school trips.

Still, only a limited number will become gallery goers when they grow up. After all,we've been teaching Shakespeare in literature classes for ages, and it is still a smallslice of the public that reads or attends his plays.


Orwellsghost

Firstly, this article is pointless because the art exhibited in the National Gallery is artand of universal import.

Secondly, the fact that visitors from ethnic minorities are under represented isnothing to do with the National Gallery which is preserve that inheritance and presentit interestingly as art and not as some kind of representation of ideologies of class,gender or race etc etc.

Those who are interested in art in such a way can do so by reading their texts oncritical theory outside the gallery because such interpretations are, in any case,contested.

Those interested in the political message of the art are free to do so and thoseopposed to the world view of Reynolds and Gainsborough could always read whatthey want into the art of Wlliam Blake who was in the English radical underground

tradition and against slavery, empire , the "dark satanic mills".Yet in Jonah Albert's article we have the usual conjuncture of a faux radicalism andmarket force populism acting as a stimulus to self important people advancing theircareer and public prole in the manner of a Greg Dyke. This reects a trend towardsmediocrity and patronising the audience through a mixture of cynicism andconcupiscence rather than a genuine attempt to bring the arts to the masses in a waythat might make it mean something to them. That is important irrespective ofrace,origin or creed and is Jonah Albert's job rather than playing on sectionalcupidities.

And this, as with so many other things, is the wider result of the crude utilitarian viewof the role of the arts in public life and the prevalence of tacky showbiz values andthe deciencies of the education system for poorer members of society. In particular,many black people no less than poorer whites are not introduced to art on TV as itwas in programmes such as Kenneth Clarke's Civilisation.

The other problem ,of course, is that post-colonialism hasn't thrown up works of art in

http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/48061http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2538479http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2538479http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/47966http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2418746http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/2418746


18/23

Prev Next

Comments for this discussion are now closed.

1 2 3

,bound to be somewhat "fossilised" in the past.

Yet, most visitors to the National Gallery will tend to be middle class and touristssimply because art just doesn't mean a lot to the majority of the people in Britainirrespective of their race. The National Gallery is there for those who want it. Youcan't make it trendy or "accessible" without detracting from the point of the gallerywhich is to exhibit artistic masterpieces and that really is the end of it.

curious1

@waltz "And there was me thinking that the purpose of an art gallery was to exhibitart."

Pay attention Waltz pay attention.

Nation Gallery Game 2: When in the National here is a game that I sometimes ndamusing. You can play it, too. Have a wander around a major British art institutionand play 'spot the untinted smirky guy in bespoke suit and superiority complex whoits through the rooms ignoring the paintings'. There's just one rule. To win game

aforementioned smirky guy must have massive ego and be seen "in agrante delicto"counting tinted visages.


Today's best video

What Nigel Farage really thinks

Revealing video clips show what the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, really thinks about key issuesaffecting voters

558 comments
http://www.theguardian.com/music/video/2014/nov/12/savages-bo-ningen-dadaism-words-to-the-blind-videohttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2014/nov/12/what-nigel-farage-really-thinks-ukip-videohttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2014/nov/12/what-nigel-farage-really-thinks-ukip-video#start-of-commentshttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2014/nov/12/what-nigel-farage-really-thinks-ukip-videohttp://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/48096http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1741610http://www.theguardian.com/discussion/user/id/1741610http://discussion.theguardian.com/discussion/p/q4y6?orderby=oldest&commentpage=3&per_page=50http://discussion.theguardian.com/discussion/p/q4y6?orderby=oldest&commentpage=2&per_page=50http://discussion.theguardian.com/discussion/p/q4y6?orderby=oldest&commentpage=2&per_page=50


19/23

The Guardian'sonline dating site

I am a

Seeking

Aged

In

Within

Of

Savages and Bo Ningen on their dadaism-inspired collaboration

Musicians discuss Words to the BlindPost your comment

Russell Brand on revolution, democracy and Vivienne Westwood

Comedian and actor talks to Owen Jones252 comments

Syrian boy 'saves girl from army sniper'

Boy purportedly rescues girl under re from gunman

Meet someone worth meeting

Man

Women

25 to 45

United Kingdom

20 miles

Anya007, 38 Paskavich_wisdom,44

Search
https://soulmates.theguardian.com/landing/543b9784e4b072f19518a1ac?INTCMP=mic_2718https://soulmates.theguardian.com/landing/544e2769e4b0964845b40569?INTCMP=mic_2718http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2014/nov/12/syrian-boy-saves-girl-from-army-sniper-videohttp://www.theguardian.com/membership/video/2014/nov/12/russell-brand-on-revolution-democracy-and-vivienne-westwood-videohttp://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2014/nov/12/syrian-boy-saves-girl-from-army-sniper-videohttp://www.theguardian.com/membership/video/2014/nov/12/russell-brand-on-revolution-democracy-and-vivienne-westwood-video#start-of-commentshttp://www.theguardian.com/membership/video/2014/nov/12/russell-brand-on-revolution-democracy-and-vivienne-westwood-videohttp://www.theguardian.com/music/video/2014/nov/12/savages-bo-ningen-dadaism-words-to-the-blind-video#start-of-commentshttp://www.theguardian.com/music/video/2014/nov/12/savages-bo-ningen-dadaism-words-to-the-blind-videohttps://soulmates.theguardian.com/landing/543b9784e4b072f19518a1ac?INTCMP=mic_2718https://soulmates.theguardian.com/landing/544e2769e4b0964845b40569?INTCMP=mic_2718


20/23


21/23

2.

3.

4.

5.

1.

. I Think I Can See Where You're Going Wrong

by Marc Burrows 6.99

. Germany

by Neil MacGregor 22.00

. Nairn's London

by Ian Nairn 7.99

. Secret Footballer's Guide to the Modern Game

by Secret Footballer 8.99

Search the Guardian bookshop

Search

comment is free

Latest posts

8min ago

Women, beware this PUA army of sleazebags, saddos and weirdos

Hadley Freeman: Men who pay attention(and money) to pick-up artists have aninner rage against female free will. Andyou might work with one

2 comments

45min ago

My Thought for the Day: most of usare trying not to be dicks
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/12/true-false-believvers-ethical-decisionshttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/12/pua-pick-up-artists-julien-blanc-dapper-laughs#start-of-commentshttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/12/pua-pick-up-artists-julien-blanc-dapper-laughshttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfreehttp://bookshop.theguardian.com/secret-footballer-s-guide-to-the-modern-game.htmlhttp://bookshop.theguardian.com/nairn-s-london.htmlhttp://bookshop.theguardian.com/germany-4.htmlhttp://bookshop.theguardian.com/i-think-i-can-see-where-you-re-going-wrong.htmlhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/12/true-false-believvers-ethical-decisionshttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/12/pua-pick-up-artists-julien-blanc-dapper-laughs


22/23

Arts & heritageCharitiesEducationEnvironmentGovernmentGraduate

HealthMarketing & PRMediaSalesSenior executive

Social care

Browse all jobs

Natalie Haynes: Notebook: Were allpeople, not true or false believers, andethical decisions are easier to reach if westart from that premise

15 comments

Comment from the paper

Ali Ansari: How a decade of misguidedwar has corroded the idea of Britain

Natalie Nougayrde: Forget the Brics America and China will reshape the newworld order

Martin Rowson: Martin Rowson onTheresa May and the European arrestwarrant debacle cartoon

Find the latest jobs in your sector:

Search

Today in pictures
http://jobs.theguardian.com/?INTCMP=JB2http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cartoon/2014/nov/11/theresa-may-european-arrest-warrant-cameronhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/12/brics-america-china-reshape-new-world-orderhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/12/decade-war-britain-afghanistan-scotlandhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/12/true-false-believvers-ethical-decisions#start-of-commentshttp://jobs.theguardian.com/?INTCMP=JB2http://jobs.theguardian.com/social-care/?INTCMP=JB2http://jobs.theguardian.com/jobs/senior-executive/?INTCMP=JB2http://jobs.theguardian.com/jobs/saleshttp://jobs.theguardian.com/media/?INTCMP=JB2http://jobs.theguardian.com/marketing/?INTCMP=JB2http://jobs.theguardian.com/jobs/health/?INTCMP=JB2http://jobs.theguardian.com/graduate/?INTCMP=JB2http://jobs.theguardian.com/government/?INTCMP=JB2http://jobs.theguardian.com/environment/?INTCMP=JB2http://jobs.theguardian.com/education/?INTCMP=JB2http://jobs.theguardian.com/charity/?INTCMP=JB2http://jobs.theguardian.com/arts/?INTCMP=JB2


23/23

BBC Sports Personality of the Year in pictures

Bradley Wiggins capped his remarkable sporting year by taking home the big prize at the ceremonyin London

Dinner, dusk and dancing Russians: my best winter shot

A glass of wine with a rough sleeper, Santa in trunks, a thousand partying Muscovites in a MyBest Shot special, top photographers pick the image that sums up winter for them

Monkey adopts kitten in pictures

Kimon, an eight-year-old pet female long-tailed monkey, treats a kitten as her baby in Bintan Island,Indonesia

License/buy our content|Privacy policy|Terms & conditions|Advertising guide|Accessibility|A-Z index|Inside the Guardian blog|About us|Work for us

|Join our dating site today

2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its afliated companies All rights reserved
http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2012/dec/13/monkey-adopts-kitten-in-pictureshttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2012/dec/16/my-best-winter-shothttp://www.theguardian.com/sport/gallery/2012/dec/17/bbc-sports-personality-year-pictureshttps://soulmates.theguardian.com/http://www.theguardian.com/workforushttp://www.theguardian.com/infohttp://www.theguardian.com/help/insideguardianhttp://www.theguardian.com/index/subjects/ahttp://www.theguardian.com/help/accessibilityhttp://www.theguardian.com/advertisinghttp://www.theguardian.com/help/terms-of-servicehttp://www.theguardian.com/help/privacy-policyhttp://syndication.theguardian.com/http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2012/dec/13/monkey-adopts-kitten-in-pictureshttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2012/dec/16/my-best-winter-shothttp://www.theguardian.com/sport/gallery/2012/dec/17/bbc-sports-personality-year-pictures

jonah albert: where are the black visitors in my gallery? | comment is free | the observer

Documents