The Massacre of the Innocents 2015

Kent Monkman created this scene, titled "The Massacre of the Innocents," with oils, conjuring a clash of past and present on canvas. Imagine Monkman layering these earth tones, these muted oranges and greens, building up the landscape only to disrupt it with this brutal scene of conflict. The figures, caught in the throes of violence, are rendered with a certain flatness, almost like paper dolls set against the depth of the mountains. I wonder if he felt a tension between the act of representation and the weight of history, a struggle to capture the complexities of cultural encounter. It reminds me of other history painters like Delacroix, but with a pointed, contemporary twist. "The Massacre of the Innocents" is part of an ongoing visual conversation across time, echoing and answering the voices of artists past. It’s a brave painting, unafraid to stir up discomfort and invite new perspectives.