Equestrian Portrait Of King Philip II 2010

Kehinde Wiley made this portrait of Michael Jackson, using oil on canvas, riffing on classical equestrian portraiture. I imagine Wiley, brush in hand, conjuring up this epic image, carefully laying down each stroke to construct a world where past and present collide. You know, painting is a conversation across time, and Wiley's definitely in dialogue with the old masters. He’s taking that power dynamic of the royal portrait and flipping it, placing Michael Jackson, a Black pop icon, in that position of authority. I bet he thought long and hard about what it means to see Jackson, draped in armor, sitting high atop this steed. The texture of the paint gives everything this palpable, almost touchable quality. Think about the weight of that armor, the flow of the horse’s mane, or the softness of those cherubic figures fluttering around the pop star. It's a powerful statement, a reimagining of history, and a nod to the enduring power of painting itself.