Sarah “Saartjie” Baartman: Biography, all you need to know
Sarah Baartman was initially called Saartjie and known as Hottentot Venus.
She was an individual from the late 18th century in the Eastern Cape (now South Africa), who was exploited as a curiosity to amuse white owners across Europe.
Sarah suffered from steatopygia, leading to an accumulation of fatty tissue around her hips and backside. She was hypersexualized and ridiculed, representing a somber chapter in black history. Many still associate it with the objectification and hyper-sexualization of curvy black women by white people.
Born in the 1770s in the Camdeboo valley within the eastern part of the Cape Colony, present-day South Africa, Saartjie’s family later moved to Gamtoos Valley.
As she grew, she experienced steatopygia, which resulted in distinct fatty tissue around her waist and buttocks. While African women are typically voluptuous, her proportions were particularly pronounced.
In 1810, she moved to England with her employer, Hendrik Cesars, and an English doctor, William Dunlop. During her time in Manchester, England, she was baptized and renamed Sarah.
When Baartman departed from the Cape, it was under the pretense of seeking treatment for her peculiar condition in Piccadilly. However, they began exhibiting her for profit throughout England and Ireland. Her figure was emphasized in revealing attire to cater to the base wants and fetishes of the white owners. This occurred long before the abolition of slavery in 1880.
While she was showcased at exhibitions, British abolitionists passionately campaigning against slavery witnessed her. They also observed the coercive conditions under which she was compelled to perform and the servitude she endured. Some historical accounts even suggest that white women treated her poorly as white men jabbed her with sticks.
These British abolitionists subsequently sought justice for Baartman’s mistreatment in court. However, the court notoriously ruled in favor of the degrading exhibition after William Dunlop presented a controversial document, which was allegedly a contract signed between Dunlop and the illiterate Baartman.
After Dunlop’s death, Henry Taylor brought Baartman to Paris and made her entertain spectators. There, a scientist named George Curvier studied and experimented on her in an effort to uncover a link between humans and animals.
According to Wikipedia sources, Baartman was eventually sold to Sean Reaux, who abused and impregnated her as part of an experiment. A daughter named Okurra Reaux was born, but she died at the age of 5. During this period, she lived in extreme poverty and struggled to afford sustenance.
In December 1815, she passed away in Paris, France. Until 2002, when her remains were returned to South Africa, they were exhibited in France after being dissected by George Curvier.
