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Kehinde Wiley — Passing/Posing (Santus Phillipus A)
Kehinde Wiley

Passing/Posing (Santus Phillipus A)

A striking oil painting by Kehinde Wiley, *Passing/Posing (Santus Phillipus A)* presents a contemporary Black figure rendered in the grand tradition of Old Master portraiture, set against an ornate, flattened background of lush botanical patterns. Wiley's signature style merges classical European painting conventions with modern urban identity, challenging historical exclusions in Western art by positioning his subject with regal authority and dignity. The work is housed in the artist's own elaborate frame, which functions as an integral part of the composition, further reinforcing the dialogue between historical art-world power structures and contemporary representation.

Medium
oil on canvas, in artist's frame

🔨 Auction Lot

Under the Influence

March 4, 2015

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About this work

Kehinde Wiley, Passing/Posing (Santus Phillipus A)

A striking oil painting by Kehinde Wiley, *Passing/Posing (Santus Phillipus A)* presents a contemporary Black figure rendered in the grand tradition of Old Master portraiture, set against an ornate, flattened background of lush botanical patterns. Wiley's signature style merges classical European painting conventions with modern urban identity, challenging historical exclusions in Western art by positioning his subject with regal authority and dignity. The work is housed in the artist's own elaborate frame, which functions as an integral part of the composition, further reinforcing the dialogue between historical art-world power structures and contemporary representation.

Medium
oil on canvas, in artist's frame
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Figurative Painting, Gold And Green, Bold Colors, Floral Background, Ornate Floral Background, Male Artist, Empowerment, Ornate Frame, Contemporary Artist, American Artist, Black Subjects, Portrait Painting, Figurative Art, Black Subject, 21st Century, Neo-Baroque, Black Portraiture, Regal Mood, Oil on Canvas

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