1930s–‘60s: Portrait of Patrick Nelson by Duncan Grant, 1960-63. Photo © Christie’s Images / Bridgeman Images
Patrick Nelson was born in Jamaica and came to the UK in 1938, where he – potentially at a venue like Shim Sham – met painter Duncan Grant, a member of the Bloomsbury Group. The two started a romantic relationship.
After fighting for the British military during the Second World War, Nelson returned to Jamaica in 1945. He once more came to London in the early 1960s, where he died in 1963. This portrait of Nelson near the end of his life was painted by Grant.
- Look at this painting and note what you can see. What can it tell you about Patrick Nelson?
- How do you think Duncan Grant, the artist, felt about Nelson based on this portrait?
- Do you look at the painting differently after learning more about their relationship?
- Find out more about Patrick Nelson’s life. What can it tell you about the lives of LGBTQ+ Black people in early 20th century Britain?
- What kind of spaces did Nelson exist in?
- Why do you think he worked as an artist’s model?
- How open do you think he was about his relationship with Grant? Why?