Oil on canvas
Richard Glynn Vivian (1835-1910) founded the Gallery with profits from copper.
Vivian & Sons (1809-1924) ran the copperworks at Hafod, Swansea, bringing in copper from El Cobre, a Cuban mine known to use slaves and indentured workers. Moreover, copper itself was known to be used as cash or ornaments which facilitated the buying and selling of African slaves.
Whilst there is no evidence that the Vivians themselves were directly involved in the slave trade – the history of copper was enmeshed with the socio-political landscape of colonial exploitation.
The Gallery is in the process of exploring this Imperial past.
Richard Glynn Vivian Bequest, 1911
