A Portrait of a Young Gentleman

Kehinde Wiley’s "A Portrait of a Young Gentleman" is based on Thomas Gainsborough's painting of the same name, first exhibited in 1770 and now known as "The Blue Boy". Like the other paintings in this room, "Blue Boy" follows a tradition of portraiture, often referred to as "grand manner," whose stylistic formula was designed to announce the wealth and status of those who are portrayed. Wiley often uses the conventions of grand manner portraiture in his own work, painting Black and brown models in the same poses struck by sitters in historical paintings. By using a portrait format associated with privilege, Wiley glorifies those who are marginalized and who have historically been subjugated. His paintings ask us to reconsider how representation reflects power.