Director Amma Asante viewed an exhibition on people of colour in art, and learned that in 18th c portraits we were usually represented as pets or appendages to the principle subject, the person of colour placed lower than the subject, eyes never focused outward toward the viewer but looking, and gesturing, often in praise or supplication, toward the subject. The people of colour were ornaments which helped show the status of, and draw the eye to, the subject.

Some time later Asante saw this portrait, and realised immediately that the very different nature of this painting was a clue to a very different story.

Dido Belle Lindsay was on a level with or even a touch higher than her white cousin Elizabeth. Both young women meet the viewer's eyes with their own lively gazes. Dido doesn't gesture towards Elizabeth, but the opposite. And when Asante investigated further, she learned that there was indeed a fascinating story to tell, about Dido, born a slave, raised a gentlewoman, and who may have played a role in the abolition of slavery in England.

And what did I notice about this portrait? The fashions, of course! See? Dido is wearing a turban a la Turque.

I haven't seen the film Belle yet but hope to on Monday. Has anyone else seen it?

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2404181/

Trailer:

Interview with Director and Star:

updated by @merry-chase: 06 Jan 2017 02:22:53AM

Looking into it further, I've learned that the originator of the project, on seeing the painting, wasn't director Amma Asante but writer Misan Sagay. Anyway, the painting was still the catalyst. I think that it's great that a knowledge of art history, and the ability to see that there was something different about this painting, was what uncovered the fascinating story of Dido, prompting its retelling.

Yes Merry, salon art wasn't pretty and it ruled for a long time.

Really nice portrait and topic Merry :D

I've finally seen this & thought it was quite good.

Thanks for this post, Merry. It kept the movie in my mind all this time

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I did finally see the film. It didn't go quite as far as I had imagined, from articles, in painting Dido Belle Lindsay as being -

1- an activist

2 - privy to her uncle's ruminations

3 - influential in his final decision.

As I recall, we didn't see that much interaction between those two, and the focus was more on the love story. But being the story also of a woman who had no status in society, high or low, and thus was above some marriages and below others, so was destined to live a spinster; well, being that story, it may have been more realistic than the story I expected.

It has now been many months since I watched it, so I think I'll watch it again and see if that impression that remains with me now is changed at all by reviewing.