John Simpson painted this compelling image of a man in shackles as a powerful abolitionist statement. Simpson's model was the freeborn American Ira Aldridge, a celebrated Shakespearean actor and the first black man to play Othello on the London stage. The Captive Slave, highlights his gifts as a tragic actor as well as responding to - and even transcending - the historical moment to which it belongs. The Captive Slave Wall Art by John Simpson from Great BIG Canvas. Oil On Canvas, Simpsons Artist, A4 Poster, Poster Prints, Royal Academy Of Arts, Chicago Art