Louis XIV # 8 2011

This is Alexander Roitburd’s ‘Louis XIV # 8’, made with oil on canvas. Roitburd’s choice of painting is significant here. It’s a medium long associated with skill, labor, and tradition – think of the workshops of Renaissance masters. But here, oil paint is used to depict, almost to caricature, an absolute monarch, Louis XIV. The loose brushwork and garish colors add a level of absurdism to the image. Consider the inherent qualities of oil paint. It’s viscous, allowing for layering and blending, and Roitburd uses these qualities to full effect. The texture is thick and visible, adding a tactile dimension to the work that is full of gestural marks. The processes involved in creating this painting are not just about aesthetics; they’re imbued with social commentary. This work challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft, inviting us to think about the labor, politics, and consumption involved in its production, and more broadly, the idea of monarchy itself.