On view 19 May–28 September 2024, Isaac Julien’s immersive portrait of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who obtained freedom from chattel slavery in 1838 and became one of the most important orators, writers, and statespersons of the nineteenth century.
Across the 10 screens of this video installation, a nonlinear narrative melds Douglass’s life and work with excerpts from several of his speeches, literary works, and personal correspondence. The most photographed American of his era, Douglass understood that portraiture could challenge racist tropes and advance the freedom and civil rights of Black Americans and subjugated people around the world.
For the first time, historical objects directly related to Lessons of the Hour will be on view alongside the work. They include albumen silver print portraits of Douglass, pamphlets of his speeches, first editions of his memoirs, a facsimile of a rare manuscript laying out his ideas about photography, and a specially designed wallpaper composed of period newspaper clippings, broadsides, magazine illustrations, and scrapbook pages.
Image: Isaac Julien, Lessons of the Hour, 2019
Ten screen installation, 35mm film and 4K digital, color, 7.1 surround sound
Duration: 28 minutes 34 seconds
© Isaac Julien
Courtesy the artist and Victoria Miro
