The Marchioness Of Santa Cruz 2014

"The Marchioness of Santa Cruz" is a 2014 painting by Kehinde Wiley, known for his contemporary portraiture. Wiley reinterprets traditional European portraiture by replacing historical figures with modern-day African Americans, subverting centuries of art history and challenging Western beauty standards. This piece features a black woman in contemporary clothing posed against a floral patterned background, a motif that echoes the style of 18th-century European portraits. The highly detailed and vibrant oil painting draws attention to the beauty and dignity of the subject, placing her firmly in the lineage of history's grand portraits.