Night at the Museum

The art piece I wanted to highlight in my response is “Shifting the Gaze” by Titus Kaphar. This painting caught my eye as soon as I saw it. The white streaks over the detailed painting behind it was so intriguing. Why would an artist cover up something so beautifully painted? As I read the small blurb about the painting, it hit me that the people that were covered up were slave owners and the only person who was visible was a black servant boy. This simple act of covering the faces of the White people in the painting spoke volumes. It reminded of another painting called “Bélizaire and the Frey Children.” This painting had 4 children on it: 3 White and 1 Black child. Over time, the Black child named Bélizaire who was assumed to be a servant to the White family was painted over. Recently, it was discovered that he was in the painting all along. “Shifting the Gaze” is an incredibly powerful painting. We are no longer bringing attention to the White slave owners who dehumanized Black people, but rather we are focusing on the Black people who suffered and persevered for the freedom of future generations.