Investiture Of Bishop Harold As Duke Of Franconia 2003

Kehinde Wiley made *Investiture Of Bishop Harold As Duke Of Franconia* with layers of color and design. Look at that explosion of teal and green! I can imagine Wiley in his studio, carefully building up the pattern, each brushstroke a deliberate choice, a kind of visual puzzle-solving. I’m really drawn to the way he juxtaposes this intricate background with the figure of a Black man, a very contemporary figure, casually dressed with a sword. It makes you wonder, what’s he thinking? What’s his story? The paint is so smooth, so precise, yet there’s a vibrancy, an energy, that suggests something less controlled, more alive. That sword, the way it’s casually slung over his shoulder, is a gesture loaded with meaning. It speaks to power, history, maybe even defiance. Wiley is a modern history painter, who is in conversation with artists like Titian, Manet, Warhol, and so many others who explored themes of power, identity, and representation in their work.