Seeking information about ‘The Black Boy’ (1844) by William L. Windus

William L. Windus, ‘The Black Boy’ (1844) © 2024 National Museums Liverpool

‘The Black Boy’ was painted by Liverpool artist William L. Windus in 1844. The portrait has been on display in the International Slavery Museum since 2007, but there are still many things that we don’t know about the sitter and his experiences as a Black child in 19th century Liverpool. Following a dedicated research project, ‘The Black Boy’ will be accompanied by new interpretative materials which delve deeper into Liverpool’s Black history, the experiences of Black children in Britain and the Black presence in nineteenth-century British portraiture.

We are looking for more information on the artist and hoping to identify the subject of ‘The Black Boy’. If you have any information we want to hear from you – maybe you are related to William L. Windus or have come across the portrait before.

You can provide any information via the Google form here. You can also respond to a series of questions about ‘The Black Boy’