Portrait Of Napolean As First Consul 2012

Kehinde Wiley made this portrait of a cool looking dude in the 21st century. The way Wiley deploys hyperrealism in his portraiture is, like, fascinating. The skin tones are so smooth, right? Yet they contrast so sharply with the flat, almost aggressively patterned background. The color palette, a mix of vibrant reds and oranges against cooler blues, creates this visual vibration. The floral motifs, scattered across the canvas and almost collaged onto the figure, make you think about decoration and power. It’s like he’s asking, how do we make a portrait now? How can we reimagine historical tropes in the present? Wiley’s paintings remind me a little of David Hockney, but with a distinct sense of social commentary. It's that tension between representation and abstraction that makes his work so compelling. It's a big conversation and there is never one answer!