Investiture Of Bishop Harold As Duke Of Franconia 2003

Kehinde Wiley painted “Investiture Of Bishop Harold As Duke Of Franconia” using his now signature clash of classical portraiture with contemporary subjects. Wiley’s marks are clean, precise, and intentional, his approach is methodical: first he chooses a figure, then constructs a setting, and finally selects the appropriate color scheme. The paint handling is incredibly smooth, so smooth it almost feels like a digital rendering, but the scale and presence of the painting is undeniably physical. I really like how the patterns in the background almost vibrate with a flat, graphic intensity. The combination of gold, teal, and red makes my eyes dance! Then there's the figure in a simple white tee and blue jeans, so contemporary and yet totally at home within this opulent historical context. Wiley, like Barkley Hendricks or Mickalene Thomas, makes us rethink the relationship between portraiture, power, and representation. It’s an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas, where ambiguity trumps any fixed meaning.