Kehinde Wiley's Napoleon Leading the Army of the Alps (2005)
© Kehinde Wiley. Photo: Brooklyn Museum
Jacques-Louis Davids celebrated 19th-century portrait of Napoleon on horseback will be shown alongside the US artist Kehinde Wileys dramatic homage to Davids painting for the first time this autumn. Both works go on show at Château de Malmaison in western Paris this autumn (9 October-6 January 2020), formerly Napoleon Bonapartes private estate, and will travel to the Brooklyn Museum in New York (24 January-10 May 2020).
Davids portrait, entitled First Consul, crossing the Alps at Great St. Bernard Pass, was commissioned by the King of Spain, Charles IV, in 1800. It reflects Napoleons victory over Austrian forces in June 1800 at the Battle of Marengo in Piedmont, reinforcing his grip on power across his European empire. There are five versions of the painting by David, the first of which is housed at Château de Malmaison which was bought in 1799 by Napoleons wife Joséphine.
In his 2005 painting, Napoleon leading the Army over the Alps, Wiley has replaced the figure of Napoleon with a black man wearing a bandana and Timberland boots. The work, which is owned by the Brooklyn Museum, belongs to a series of portraits inspired by the history of equestrian portraiture entitled Rumors of War.
Jacques Louis Davide's First Consul, crossing the Alps at Great St. Bernard Pass (1801)
© RMN–Grand Palais–Franck Raux
Wiley tells The Art Newspaper that “art has been the witness to power, whether its church or the state. The issue [of power] is tricky and bolder today, its vulgar. It is about focusing on truth and reconciliation, and balancing the past and the present in some strange way.” Wileys portrait of President Barack Obama, unveiled last year, is credited with boosting visitor figures at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC.
The artist was speaking at a launch of a show of 14 new works at Galerie Templon in Paris which focus on Tahitis Mahu community (Tahiti, until 20 July), the traditional Polynesian classification of people of a third gender. The images and an accompanying video installation throw light on the striking transgender women, sparking debate aboRead More – Source
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