When: closing November 4, 2018
There are a lot of shows closing in November this year (is this always the pattern? I seem to recall lots closing in January and very few in December in years past, but I can't recall if November is usually a busy month...), so I'm getting an early start so I don't miss anything.
First up is this portrait of Henrietta Lacks, whose cells have been used to fight cancer since her untimely death in 1951. A book and movie have been made about her life and the controversy surrounding the use of her cells, so I won't go into the full story here.
Suffice it to say, the cells were taken without her knowledge or permission, and her family has (as far as I know) never been given any compensation for their use. If it were me, I'd be happy to donate some cells that might be helpful to research, but I'd want to be asked first. It's a matter of being treated with dignity, and isn't that something we all want?
Verdict: Take time to see this portrait the next time you're at the Portrait Gallery; both the subject and the messages in the portrait are worth a look.
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