Introducing Johzenji High’s Hottest Boy Band:

attention

please reblog/like this if you post:

-dark/light/chaotic/romantic academia

-art

-literature

-etc.

I’m trying to find new content for this blog, and I’d love to talk with you about it too!

I’m not black, but I see you

I’m not black, but I hear you

I’m not black, but I mourn with you

able-bodied neurodivergents i want y'all to wholesale stop using physical conditions as a metaphor for neurodivergence whether it's "wouldn't it be ridiculous if this physical condition was treated like this mental condition?" (hint: it is) or not. there's no acceptable way to do this so just stop it.

The Fall of Icarus, Jacob Peter Gowy, 1635-37

from a Guardian article by Arundhati Roy about the covid crisis in India titled ‘We are witnessing a crime against humanity’. it’s a free read and it’s also an excellent good read for anyone who wants to understand the magnitude of the issue and how deeprooted it is because it isn’t just the virus it’s a number of things that’s wrong with the entire system of government. the leading party is at fault and it has been for multiple years now for more crimes and human rights violations than it’s even possible to imagine. so please take 5 mins out of your day and read it, i promise you it’s worthwhile. 

Desi dark academia is just a group of multilingual STEM students with an extensive knowledge of history, who recite Tagore, purely out of memory

IN THIS HOUSE WE celebrate black women sculptors because Dark Academia has a slight Michelangelo fetish and sometimes it’s good to mix things up. 
Left to Right: 
Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller & Elizabeth Catlett, Selma Burke & Simone Leigh, Edmonia Lewis & Augusta Savage

Black 18th Century

“I am America. I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.” Muhammad Ali.

I’ve been thinking about this since the death of Muhammad Ali, about the importance of black people in society through history and that even nowadays is hardly represented. And in the 18th century, even less represented.

So, let me tell you that finding this images was not easy at all. First of all, since my inspiration was Ali’s black pride, I didn’t want portraits showing black men, women or children in slavery or service position. I wanted beautiful, proud and powerful portraits. And I found them :)

Of course I also wanted some strong characters from tv and film and, you know what? IT WAS FUCKING HARD. Not because there are not many black strong characters in 18th century dramas (even though there actually are not many), BUT because there are not many images of them in the internet. Which, let me tell you Internet, THAT SUCKS.

For example, try googling “Abigail Jordan Turn”. Google it, I’ll wait here (or click the link). There are just a few images of any of both actors (Idara Victor and Aldis Hodge) and of those there are even less with just the two of them or any of them alone. There’s usually also a white character in that photo.

Of course Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s photos were easier to find, since she’s the main actress of “Belle”, it would have been ridiculous to not find photos of her. On the other hand, have you seen Amazing Grace? Do you remember the ONLY black character of this movie? Well, apparently there are only A FEW of different photos of Youssou N'Dour as Olaudah Equiano on a fast Google search.

Finally let me tell you I saw a Mexican/Spanish film this weekend called El Baile de San Juan (I’ll make a full post about that) about a pair of lovers in the last decade of the 18th century in the New Spain. There are two black characters, and one of them is this woman called María Fé (portrayed by Sylvie Henry) who is basically the link between all stories and characters, so she’s there the WHOLE movie, the story flows because of her. She’s got a son (Jacinto, portrayed by the beautiful Yotuel Romero) which is a small character. Her costume is very likely one of the most historically accurate from the movie and it’s gorgeous (from the earrings she wears, to her hair, her chintz print petticoat… everything). But you know something? The photo I posted here is the only decent one on the internet of her, no promo shots, no stills, no nothing. As if the only characters in the movie are the two (boring) main characters and the European ones.

And this is only a little example of the lack of representation nowadays of black people. But, let me let you go with this thought: this post is about black people and it was hard, if I would have looked for mestizo and mixed raze representation in the 18th century (and nowadays) I would have to stick to casta painting and a few American portraits just to get that in the media, we Latin people (and all people of colour) are pretty invisible.

But let’s better take a look at the photos from top and you all should reblog and add images of 18th century black people <3

“Portrait of a Young Woman”, 1790s, Jean-Étienne Liotard.

“Portrait of a Man”, ca. 1802, Joseph Ducreux

“Portrait of Dido Elizabeth Belle Lindsay and her cousin Lady Elizabeth Murray”, ca. 1778, Johann Zoffany

Youssou N'Dour as Olaudah Equiano in “Amazing Grace”, dir. Michael Apted, costume design by Jenny Beavan.

Idara Victor as Abigail and Aldis Hodge as Jordan in “Turn”, costume design by Donna Zakowska.

“De Negro y India; China cambuja”, 1763, Miguel Cabrera

“Portrait of a Young Black Italian Man”, 1760s, Alessandro Longhi

Sylvie Henry as María Fé and Yotuel Romero as Jacinto in “El Baile de San Juan”, dir. Francisco Athié, Costume Design by Leticia Palacios, 2010.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Dido Elizabeth Belle in “Belle”, dir. Amma Asante, costume design by Anushia Nieradzik, 2013.

“Portrait of Two Society Women", 1740s, Stephen Slaughter

“A Young Black (thought to be Francis Barber)”, undated, Sir Joshua Reynolds

“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”

— F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Special thanks to @damngoodgirl for the suggestion.

Spot the difference games are getting harder nowadays