Munich (dpa / lby) - The portraits of the British couple Hibbert were separated for almost 140 years - no wonder, since the two had divorced in 1796. Despite their love-off, the paintings by the famous British portrait artist Thomas Gainsborough are now reunited in Munich. "Mrs. Sophia Hibbert" from 1786 has been on loan to the Neue Pinakothek since 1978. "Mr. Thomas Hibbert", painted in 1785, has now also been purchased, the museum announced on Tuesday in Munich, which is showing both works in the Alte Pinakothek because of the renovation of the main building over several years.
A wealthy couple, but whose wealth can be viewed critically given today's debate about colonialism and slavery. The Pinacoteca describes the Hibberts as a family from the north of England who became wealthy and influential in the 18th century. The Neue Pinakothek reports that they owed their rise in society to trade relations in the Caribbean and thus to the associated slave economy. According to recent research, by the time slavery was abolished in 1834, about ten percent of upper-class families in Britain were directly linked to or benefited from the slave economy.
According to the Pinakothek, the portrayed Thomas Hibbert (1744-1819) worked in Kingston, Jamaica from 1766 to 1780 and then returned to England. After his marriage to the banker's daughter Sophia in 1784, he led a withdrawn life. The couple had themselves painted by Gainsborough, the famous upper class portrait painter. After the divorce in 1796, each kept the portrait of the other. According to the Neue Pinakothek, it now owns a total of five works by Gainsborough (1727-1788). The portraits are currently hanging in the Alte Pinakothek due to the renovation of the main building over several years.
