{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O136626"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O136626/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HE5028/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HE5028/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014HE5028","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JW1066","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O136626/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O136626","accessionNumber":"2941-1876","objectType":"Watercolour","titles":[{"title":"Portrait of Francis Barber","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Henry Edridge was a landscape artist and portraitist who brought the delicacy of the miniature to his paintings of people. He drew his subject in soft lead pencil before applying watercolour in the miniaturist’s technique of stippling, focussed on the face and hands, with some washes or body colour to indicate dress and drapery. Edridge attended the Royal Academy Schools from 1784 where he made a number of copies of the works of Sir Joshua Reynolds.\r\n\r\nThis watercolour of Francis Barber is a copy of an original painting by Reynolds. Barber was born a slave in Jamaica. He was brought to England by Richard Bathurst whose son (of the same name) was a friend of Samuel Johnson. When Bathurst died, Barber was freed by the terms of his will and, following the death of Bathurst’s wife, was placed in the service of Johnson. Barber became Johnson’s secretary and valet and was much valued by Johnson who paid for his education and, on his death, made Barber his principal heir.\r\n\r\nThe painting provides a rare example of a black man being given the weight and dignity of a white sitter and Barber is depicted with great sensitivity. This is all the more significant given that the original version was probably painted in the 1770s, when the transatlantic slave trade was still in operation.","physicalDescription":"Watercolour portrait of Francis Barber, Dr. Johnson's servant.  His face is depicted in detail against the background of a clouded sky. The body and clothing are indicated with simple brushstrokes.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Edridge, Henry RA","id":"A9792"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x37878"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Black History","id":"THES48989"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"},{"text":"Watercolours","id":"THES277714"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2014HE5028","2017JW1066"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF (VA)","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"TOPIC","shelf":"4","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"watercolour","id":"AAT78925"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1785","earliest":"1780-01-01","latest":"1789-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"17","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Unmounted","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"14.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Unmounted","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Handwritten on reverse: 'H. Edridge. From a picture by Sir J. Reynold, in the Collecion of Sir G. Beaumont.'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Watercolour portrait of Francis Barber by Henry Edridge after Sir Joshua Reynolds.  ","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Damiët Schneeweisz, Rosalind McKever, and Adriana Concin. <i>The Portrait Miniature: A New History</i>. London: Thames & Hudson and the V&A, 2026.","id":"AUTH411474"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"portraits","id":"AAT15637"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["2941-1876"],"accessionNumberNum":"2941","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1876,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-12-19","recordCreationDate":"2007-06-27","availableToBook":false}}