The Smithsonian Has Acquired A Portrait of Henrietta Lacks

By Paula Rogo · Updated October 24, 2020

The Smithsonian announced that it had acquired a portrait of Henrietta Lacks, the black woman whose cells—the famous HeLa cells—were used to conduct years of scientific research and breakthroughs.

The portrait, painted by Kadir Nelson, was acquired by both the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and National Museum of African American History and Culture. Though the portrait will be shown by both museums, the piece will first be featured at the National Portrait Gallery from May 15 through Nov. 4, the Smithsonian said in a press release.

“It is fitting that Henrietta Lacks be honored at two Smithsonian museums, as each approaches American history from unique and complementary perspectives,” said Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery. “Lacks’ story presents moral and philosophical questions around issues of consent, racial inequalities, the role of women, medical research and privacy laws, providing rich platforms for historical understanding and public dialogue.”

We're proud to share this Kadir Nelson portrait of Henrietta Lacks with our friends at @NMAAHC . The striking posthumous portrait was inspired by two surviving photographs that are now in the possession of her family. Commissioned by HBO on the occasion of the HBO movie premiere of "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Oprah Winfrey and Alan Ball, Nelson wrote of the portrait, “I elected to paint a prideful and glowing portrait of Henrietta Lacks, who is often referred to as, ‘The Mother of Modern Medicine,’ visually juxtaposing art and science. She stands with her beautifully manicured hands crossed, covering her womb (the birthplace of the immortal cell line) while cradling her beloved Bible (a symbol of her strong faith). Her deep red dress is covered with a vibrant floral pattern that recalls images of cell structure and division.” Other symbolism includes her bright yellow hat, which functions as a halo, her pearls as a symbol of the cancer that took her life, and the repeated hexagonal wallpaper pattern, a design containing the “Flower of Life,” an ancient symbol of immortality and exponential growth. The buttons missing from her dress reference the cells that were taken from her body without her permission #myNPG

A post shared by National Portrait Gallery (@smithsoniannpg) on May 8, 2018 at 2:55pm PDT

The portrait was commissioned by HBO during the production of its 2017 film about Lacks’ life, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” The film is based on a nonfiction book by Rebecca Skloot.

“The National Museum of African American History and Culture has always felt that the story of Henrietta Lacks is a significant and important moment that deserved greater recognition,” said Lonnie Bunch, director of the museum.

According to Culture Type, Nelson—the portrait’s Los Angeles-based artist—has made portraits of Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela for The New Yorker magazine. And his portrait of Shirley Chisholm is in the collection of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Henrietta Lacks died in 1951 at the age of 31 after a battle with cancer. Her cells, which were illegally harvested and used in studies, led to numerous medical finds. Lacks was never named or credited. The cells have become the most widely used human cells in scientific research.