Easter Realness #7
A resplendent portrait in Kehinde Wiley's signature style, *Easter Realness #7* depicts a Black subject dressed in vibrant, celebratory attire, set against an ornate, densely patterned floral background rendered in rich oil paint. Wiley's masterful technique draws from the traditions of Old Master portraiture, elevating his subject with the grandeur and dignity historically reserved for the elite. The artist's gilded frame further amplifies the work's opulence, reinforcing Wiley's ongoing exploration of race, power, and representation in Western art history.
- Medium
- oil on canvas, in artist's gilded frame
- Location
- Phillips, Salt Lake City, UT
- Spotted At
- Auction House · PhillipsView on map
🔨 Auction Lot
Contemporary Art Day Sale
November 12, 2013
Spotted works by Kehinde Wiley
Artists in conversation
Barkley L. Hendricks
American · b. 1945
Hendricks elevated Black subjects in large scale portraiture with vibrant clothing and bold visual presence, directly challenging the art historical tradition of who deserves monumental depiction. His figures command the canvas with the same dignity and celebratory energy seen in Easter Realness #7.
Amy Sherald
American · b. 1973
Sherald creates formal oil on canvas portraits of Black Americans rendered with grandeur and psychological weight, reclaiming the visual language of classical portraiture for subjects historically excluded from it. Her bold color choices and dignified compositions share the same celebratory and regal spirit as Wiley's work.
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
British · b. 1977
Yiadom-Boakye paints fictional Black subjects using rich oil paint with clear references to Old Master portraiture traditions, centering the dignity and presence of figures long absent from that canon. Her painterly technique and commitment to elevating Black portraiture align closely with the concerns expressed in Easter Realness #7.
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