Dream & Discover

The Wick - Kehinde Wiley, Portrait of a Venetian Ambassador, Aged 59, II, 2006

Discover Kehinde Wiley, Portrait of a Venetian Ambassador, Aged 59, II

Portrait of a Venetian Ambassador, Aged 59, II,,
2006

Kehinde Wiley is best known for his highly stylized portraits of Black protagonists in the traditional poses and settings of Old Master paintings. Since he shot to fame in the 2000s, he has painted such celebrated figures as Barack Obama, Spike Lee and Ice-T, enjoyed solo shows around the world and seen his works sell for six-figure sums at auction. Opening in December is a major new exhibition of his landscapes at the National Gallery in London.

This painting from 2006 combines several of Wiley’s signature motifs: the self-empowered black man, a bold, brilliant colour palette and a richly patterned, floral background. The discord between the official role implied by the title and the appearance of its hip-hop loving sitter draws attention to contemporary discussions around representation and identity. ‘I believe it’s possible to hold twin desires in your head, such as the desire to create painting and destroy painting at once,’ the artist has explained. ‘The desire to look at a black American culture as underserved, in need of representation.’

Contact us for more information
Visit website

READ MORE
The Wick - Oeuvre (Verdigris), 2018, by Gavin Turk
Photograph: Courtesy of Gavin Turk’s studio and Ben Brown Fine Arts
Dream & Discover

Discover Oeuvre (Verdigris), 2018, by Gavin Turk

The Wick - No. 299, 29th April 2020 by David Hockney
Dream & Discover

Discover No. 299, 29th April 2020 by David Hockney

The Wick - Sheila Hicks (American, b. 1934 in Hastings, Nebraska)
The Principal Wife, 1968
Bundled and wrapped linen, rayon and acrylic yarns; Lucite bar
Length: 254 cm (100 inches)
Gift of in memory of Mary Josephine Cutting Blair 2005.42
Dream & Discover

Discover The Principal Wife

The Wick - 'The Three Ages of Woman' by Gustav Klimt, 1905.
Dream & Discover

Discover The Three Ages of Woman by Gustav Klimt, 1905

The Wick - When Forms Come Alive, Hayward Gallery February 2024
Ruth Asawa
Dream & Discover

Dream The wire sculptures of Ruth Asawa

The Wick - Landscape near Malabata, Tangier, by Francis Bacon, 1963
Dream & Discover

Dream Landscape near Malabata, Tangier by Francis Bacon, 1963