Sir John Hawkins (1532–1595)

Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

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Notes

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The sitter is shown half-length, standing slightly to the right, in a black doublet and ruff with only his left hand visible. This holds the bottom of a sash with a silver-beaded edge, which is tied round his neck and threaded through a signet ring bearing unclear initials. The pommel of a sword worn across his back is visible under his right arm and his left wrist wears a discreet bracelet of pearls and (possibly) jet beads. Hawkins was the first English slave trader and a highly successful merchant in other areas of trade. He made four voyages to Sierra Leone between 1564 and 1569, taking a total of 1,200 Africans across the Atlantic to sell to the Spanish settlers in Hispaniola. On his first voyage he described capturing 300 Africans 'by the sword and partly by other means'.

National Maritime Museum

London

Title

Sir John Hawkins (1532–1595)

Date

1581

Medium

oil on panel

Measurements

H 62 x W 52 cm

Accession number

BHC2755

Work type

Painting

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