Saint Adrian

Artist Kehinde Wiley (American, born 1977)

Date2006

MediumOil on canvas

DimensionsFramed: 108 × 82 1/2 × 3 1/4 inches (274.32 × 209.55 × 8.26 cm)

Credit LineGift of John and Sharon Hoffman

Object number2019.50

SignedVerso center in pencil: "Kehinde Wiley 06"

On View

On view

Gallery Location

Collections

Contemporary Art

Terms

Description"Saint Adrian" depicts a contemporary African American man holding an anvil and sword, standing among richly colored blue and red flowers, vibrant pink floral patterns and ornate architectural details.Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Kehinde Wiley: Scenic, Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago, September 8-October 14, 2006, no cat.

Gallery Label

"My works quote historical sources and position young black men within the field of power." —Kehinde Wiley

An admirer of historical paintings in museums, Kehinde Wiley was struck that as a black man he was unable "to see a reflection of myself in that world." Thus, he set about to make a change. His works reimagine famous paintings, substituting a contemporary African American man or woman for the traditional white figure. Such images challenge viewers to think about the dynamics of status, race, and representation.

This painting is based on the 16th-century artist Hans Holbein the Younger’s depiction of Saint Adrian. As in Holbein’s image, Wiley’s figure holds a sword and anvil, taking on historical attributes of power and heroism.

Provenance

With Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago, by 2006.

Purchased from Rhona Hoffman Gallery by John and Sharon Hoffman, 2006.

Published References

Thelma Golden et al., Kehinde Wiley. (New York: Rizzoli International Publications, Inc, 2012): 97.

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