Louis XVI, The Sun King, 2006 - Kehinde Wiley
About the Work
About Louis XVI, The Sun King
Kehinde Wiley's finely crafted bust references iconic classical sculpture with its naturalistic draping and delicate gesticulation. This bust recalls the ornate and fluid sculpture of the Baroque period with the flowing draped fabric. Influenced by Baroque master, Gian Lorenzo ...Read More
Kehinde Wiley's finely crafted bust references iconic classical sculpture with its naturalistic draping and delicate gesticulation. This bust recalls the ornate and fluid sculpture of the Baroque period with the flowing draped fabric. Influenced by Baroque master, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Wiley's contemporary bust eschews the original regal subject in favor of a young, urban model inspired by contemporary, hip-hop culture. By reframing familiar art historical associations, Wiley creates a space for African-American culture in the Western visual tradition.Read Less
About the Artist
About Kehinde Wiley
Kehinde Wiley masterfully borrows the language of Old Master portraiture to reframe art historical tropes of subject matter, power, and recognition in the context of ...Read More
Kehinde Wiley masterfully borrows the language of Old Master portraiture to reframe art historical tropes of subject matter, power, and recognition in the context of race. His large-scale figurative paintings are equally as grand, ornate, and rich in symbolism as traditional portraiture; however, Wiley subverts the canon by depicting male protagonists of African descent, a demographic that has been virtually omitted from the Western painting tradition throughout the centuries.
Wiley's models typically wear everyday contemporary clothing—sweatshirts, jeans, sports jerseys—while enacting traditional roles seen in canonical portraiture such as the gallant equestrian or the stoic Christ figure. The artist initially approached young men on the streets of Harlem and convinced them to pose for him in his studio and recreate classical portraits. His approach has now expanded to embrace models (not all of them black) in cities around the world, from Jerusalem to Mumbai and Rio de Janeiro, as part of his ongoing World Stage series.
The artist's work has been exhibited widely, at institutions ranging from the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., to New York's Jewish Museum, which held a survey of new work from his World Stage: Israel series in 2012.
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Wiley's models typically wear everyday contemporary clothing—sweatshirts, jeans, sports jerseys—while enacting traditional roles seen in canonical portraiture such as the gallant equestrian or the stoic Christ figure. The artist initially approached young men on the streets of Harlem and convinced them to pose for him in his studio and recreate classical portraits. His approach has now expanded to embrace models (not all of them black) in cities around the world, from Jerusalem to Mumbai and Rio de Janeiro, as part of his ongoing World Stage series.
The artist's work has been exhibited widely, at institutions ranging from the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., to New York's Jewish Museum, which held a survey of new work from his World Stage: Israel series in 2012.
Read Less
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Description
Cast marble dust and resin.Authentication
Signed and numbered.Shipping
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