David Lyon
Artist:
Kehinde Wiley
(American, born 1977)
Place made:United States
Date: 2013
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
72 x 60 in. (182.9 x 152.4 cm)
Credit Line: San Antonio Museum of Art, purchased in honor of Harriet O'Banion Kelley with funds provided by The Walter F. Brown Family
Object number: 2013.13
Copyright: © Kehinde Wiley
Label Text
Utilizing the heroic postures and grand style of Old Master paintings, Kehinde Wiley reinvents the art historical tradition of portraiture with people of color. Often, Wiley’s sitters are immersed in colorful lush vegetation that is symbolic of growth and prosperity. This composition is modeled after a nineteenth-century portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence of David Lyon—a British merchant, member of Parliament, and enslaver.
Wiley began photographing young Black men on the streets of Harlem for his paintings. His practice now includes women and people of color from a variety of countries and backgrounds, exploring the complexities of identity, gender, and sexuality. In 2017, Wiley was commissioned to paint the official portrait of President Barack Obama for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
(Lana Meador, 2022)
Wiley began photographing young Black men on the streets of Harlem for his paintings. His practice now includes women and people of color from a variety of countries and backgrounds, exploring the complexities of identity, gender, and sexuality. In 2017, Wiley was commissioned to paint the official portrait of President Barack Obama for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
(Lana Meador, 2022)
On view
In Collection(s)
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
