A portrait of the actor and author David Harewood has been commissioned by Harewood House in Leeds, in an attempt to address the lack of diverse representation in its historic art collection and reckon with its history of slavery.
It will be part of the the collection’s Missing Portraits series, which was launched in 2022 to redress the balance of artwork in the house by depicting people of African-Caribbean heritage who have connections to Harewood and its owners, the Lascelles family.
The actor, who published his memoir Maybe I Don’t Belong Here to critical acclaim in 2021, has a particular connection to the estate as he is descended from people who were enslaved in the 18th-century on a Caribbean sugar plantation owned by the second Earl of Harewood, Henry Lascelles.
The portrait, inspired by the formal style of 18th and 19th portraiture, will be produced by the Leeds-based photographer and filmmaker Ashley Karrell.
It will be accompanied by an exhibition exploring Harewood’s life and celebrating his career, including his role as an ambassador for mental health awareness and racial equality.
The exhibition will open at Harewood House in September, before the work becomes part of the house’s permanent collection.
In 2021, Harewood, OBE, visited the estate as part of a Channel 5 series 1000 Years a Slave, in which he met David Lascelles, eighth Earl of Harewood. The pair discussed their historic roots to the house.
Harewood said: “To have my portrait presented at Harewood House brings on many complex emotions. It is a day that is well overdue for me and my ancestors, a day that sees their efforts and hard work finally acknowledged. I am pleased that we have reached a point when this can happen and I hope it might encourage positive change elsewhere.”
Lascelles and Diane Howse, the Countess of Harewood, said: “We’re delighted that David has agreed to be the second sitter in the Missing Portraits series. His links to Harewood are self-evident and we agree on the importance of sharing our histories, however uncomfortable this might first appear. Being honest about the past is the only way to start to address the prejudices of the present and help build a better future.”
Harewood’s portrait will be the second to be featured in the the Missing Portraits series. The first was of Arthur France MBE, founder of Leeds West Indian Carnival.
