Jane Harry (1755-1784) was a Jamaican/British painter. The daughter of a plantation owner and a servant, as with many mixed-race children, she was sent to Britain for her education. While there, she studied with Sir Joshua Reynolds, the famous portrait painter. It is thought that she painted portraits, though no paintings attributed to her are known. In 1778 she won a gold medal from the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufacturing and Commerce.
Harry became interested in Quakerism because of the death of Margaret, her younger sister. Supported in her grief by Mary Morris Knowles, a Friend, she converted to Quakerism. In response, her father withdrew his financial support and many of her friends turned against her, some using racist language. Those who rejected her included Samuel Johnson, the writer, who attacked her because he felt women were incapable of choosing their own religion. Friends took her in and provided her with employment. She married a Friend, by whom she had a child. Harry’s Quakerism also led her into abolitionism. After she was left a small bequest, following her father’s death, she wrote to her mother that she wished to free the slaves her mother owned and that they be given religious instruction in Quakerism. Only her early death prevented her from pursuing this.
It is greatly sad that none of Jane Harry’s paintings survive. As well, no portrait of her remains. Above is the silhouette of an anonymous African/British woman from the 18th century. Because of Friends’ traditional use of silhouettes and the plainness of her dress, it is included here to remember Harry.
Gary Sandman
November 2024