“Many people see my early work simply as portraits of black and brown people. Really, it's an investigation of how we see those people and how they have been perceived over time.” Kehinde Wiley

The present lot, an early piece created the year Kehinde Wiley received his MFA from the Yale School of Art stands as precursor to what would become his iconic classical portraits. The poses he selects for his full length portraits are extracted from famous art historical paintings by artists such as Jacques-Louis David, Frans Hal, Diego Rodriguez Veláquez and Theodore Gericault. Wiley also gleans figurative poses from classical sculpture, selecting figures in dramatic poses or in a direct state of contemplation. The present lot illustrates a young women seated in a vast and dry desert like environment, reflecting Wiley’s current West coasts surroundings. Though nude, our seated figure still confronts the viewer with her direct gaze which conjures the visual brilliance of Édouard Manet’s illustrious painting Olympia, 1863. The pose of her body calls to minds the depiction of women in a reclining state often found in the mosaic imagery of ancient Greece and Rome. Hailing from Greek mythology the Naiade Nymphs of river, marshes and streams are often seen lounging, resting on one arm amidst an outdoor scene. Though early in his magnificent artist career the present lot anticipates Wiley’s continuous art historical investigation into the poignant portal of mankind. The artist ponders, “What is portraiture? It's choice. It's the ability to position your body in the world for the world to celebrate you on your own terms.”