John Philip Simpson painted portraits of royalty and the enslaved.

Simpson may not be a household name like his countrymen in the same trade, but he made some daring portraits. One is thought to be of Shakespearian actor Ira Aldridge, in The Captive Slave. In this work, thought to be a statement in favor of the British abolitionist movement gaining popularity at the time, Simpson paints Aldridge as a shackled prisoner.

Although he is now relatively unknown, Simpson paid the bills just fine while he was alive. His job as the principle studio assistant to Sir Thomas Lawrence connected him with the rich and powerful. Simpson was trusted to restore paintings by Old Masters for the Royal Collection. The King of England would also sit for Simpson a few times, which is not a bad gig if you can get it.

Simpson’s time with his teacher, Lawrence, taught him a lot, and there were many times when Lawrence would start a painting and would rely on Simpson to finish off his work, which paid off; Simpson’s paintings were exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1809 to 1845.

There’s was no slowing down for Simpson. He would eventually grow tired of the English royalty and trade one palace for another, taking a cruise towards Portugal to meet the Queen. In Lisbon, Simpson rose to rock star prominence, working as a portrait painter to Queen Donna Maria II. That’s hitting the jackpot! He also painted several portraits of the ladies and gents of the royal court.