Head of a King 1940

Curator: Well, hello there! We're standing before Richard Pousette-Dart's "Head of a King," completed in 1940. What strikes you right off the bat? Editor: Texture! It's like peering into ancient stone, almost fossilized. It evokes a deep, primal, ancestral feeling. Definitely unsettling in the best way. Curator: It's intriguing, isn’t it? Pousette-Dart was exploring abstract expressionism at this time, diving into mythology and symbolism. The figure emerges from this roiling field of earthy tones. Editor: Right. It feels more like an echo of a king than a portrait, as if we are viewing him through the haze of history. He’s made of the earth itself, the land remembering him. Curator: Indeed, think about the era. This was created just as World War II was escalating in Europe, an era deeply marked by the loss of monarchies and their established authority. The swirling chaos speaks to a world in upheaval, the breakdown of those established hierarchies. Editor: Hmm, perhaps! I also get a sense of the cyclical. Those spiraling shapes feel eternal, you know? Like power might fade, but the *idea* of the king persists. Is that one sad, knowing eye looking back at us? A crown becomes almost menacing when seen from this perspective. Curator: The repetition and fractured imagery absolutely contribute to this effect. Consider also how the painting departs from more heroic and traditionally staged royal portraits, and is thus more in tune with egalitarian sentiments prevalent in New Deal America. Editor: So, almost an anti-monarch piece, subtly protesting inherited power? That makes total sense considering the overall mood and what else was happening in the art world! What began as primordial chaos may now have transformed into organized anarchy with all this fresh background! Curator: Exactly! I think exploring that dichotomy—the pull between inherent power and a more amorphous form—is key to unlocking the essence of Pousette-Dart’s creation. Editor: Well, I walked in here expecting a stony portrait and left questioning the very notion of what leadership really is. Pretty powerful stuff!