Ferdinand-Philippe-Louis-Henri, Duc D’Orléans 2014

Kehinde Wiley, born in 1977, made this painting titled Ferdinand-Philippe-Louis-Henri, Duc D’Orléans. It is just so interesting to look at. Imagine Wiley in his studio, layering the slick realist portrait of the figure over the flat decorative background. It is quite an unusual combination. I wonder about his mark-making, like the way the tendrils of the climbing plants feel painted on, but also part of the image, entwined with the figure's body, while the background is flattened and repetitive. The dark jacket clashes in an interesting way with the decorative background, so maybe he was thinking about relationships between a contemporary style of dress and historical portraiture. The painting reminds me of how an artist looks both back and forward in time, learning from the past even when making something that feels completely new. It’s one way painting continues to reinvent itself.