Mary Litte, Later Lady Carr 2012

Kehinde Wiley made Mary Litte, Later Lady Carr, using oil on canvas. Look how the light glazes across her face! Wiley's use of color is bold but also subtle; there are so many reds and browns in her skin, blending together to create a natural, luminous effect, its beautiful. The paint application here is interesting. It’s smooth, almost polished, in contrast to the dense, busy background. The background pattern is so flat and decorative, it pushes forward and emphasizes the depth in the figure’s face. Notice that the honeysuckle that she holds in her hand seems to overlap the dress, the wallpaper, almost as if it were a part of the pattern. The honeysuckle and leaves curl around her body, binding her to the background and reinforcing this dialogue between flatness and depth. Wiley is a contemporary artist who builds on a deep knowledge of art history; I’m reminded of artists like Klimt who also merged the figure and decorative background.