Robert Hay Drummond, D.D. Archbishop Of York And Chancellor Of The Order Of The Garter 2018

Kehinde Wiley made this contemporary oil on canvas painting, reinterpreting an older portrait, by placing two young black people against an ornate backdrop of red, blue, and green. The making of this work must have been an act of cultural translation, taking a European tradition and giving it a new, vibrant voice. I wonder, what was Wiley thinking as he painted the woman’s gaze, averted yet so present? The paint looks smooth, almost like skin itself, making her feel incredibly real. And the patterned background—it's not just decoration, it's a statement. It's like he's saying, "These figures belong in this space, in art history." Wiley's part of a conversation that’s been going on for centuries, a back-and-forth between artists, each one riffing on what came before. It’s about seeing, feeling, and making something new out of the old. Painting, at its best, leaves room for doubt and interpretation.