Oil on canvas, 108 x 108 in. It is based on Jacques-Louis David’s 1801 equestrian portrait, Napoleon Crossing the Alps. The original portrait smacks of propaganda. Napoleon Leading the Army is a clear spin-off of Jacques-Louis David’s painting of 1800-01 (below), which was commissioned by Charles IV, the King of Spain, to commemorate Napoleon’s victorious military campaign against the Austrians. Born 1977, Los Angeles CA Based out of New York Portraitist Black empowerment Kehinde Wiley's Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps By: Sam Sorenson Significance The artist draws forth some of David’s themes: iconicity and masculinity, empire and conquest. UMI Dissertations Publishing (2010). Rendered in a realistic mode–while making references to specific Old Master paintings–Wiley creates … Through his demonstration of extraordinary painting skill and his use of famous portraits, Wiley could be seen as wryly placing himself in line with the history of great master painters. Napoleon Crossing the Alps is a series of five oil on canvas equestrian portraits of Napoleon Bonaparte painted by the French artist Jacques-Louis David between 1801 and 1805. Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps (2005) of Kehinde Wiley I think the appropriated art that the artist wanted to express is a contemporary painting or a grand European painting with a character of a brave, wealthy and a legend man of all. The royal blue coat of the original makes an appearance (peeking out from the young man’s camouflage shirt), as does the gold-encased sword (held in place by a red strap). This act of appropriation reveals issues about the tradition of portraiture and all that it implies about power and privilege. (274.3 x 274.3 cm) Collection of Suzi and Andrew B. Cohen, courtesy of Roberts & Tilton, Photo: Brooklyn Museum Shareef, Shahrazad A. The Image archive is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Napoleon Leading the Army Over the Alps (2005) This equestrian portrait appropriates Jacques-Louis David's famous Bonaparte Crossing the Grand Saint-Bernard Pass, 20 May 1800 (1800). Detail from Kehinde Wiley’s “Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps” (2005). Kehinde Wiley (American, born 1977) Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, 2005 Oil on canvas, 108 x 108 in. It is a Young African American male on a horse that is standing on its hind legs. Napoleon Leading the Army Over the Alps, 2005 Wiley’s paintings often blur the boundaries between traditional and contemporary modes of representation. ( Log Out / Not only is Williams a common African-American surname, it hints at the imposition of Anglo names on black people who were brought by force from Africa and stripped of their own histories.The background is also infused with tiny paintings of sperm—Wiley’s way of poking fun at the highly charged masculinity and propagation of gendered identity that are involved in the Western tradition of portraiture. Kehinde Wiley By using the original as a motivation, artist has replaced Napoleon with Hannibal Williams (black model). Oil on canvas, 108 x 108 in. Kehinde Wiley - Napoleon Leading The Army over the Alps, 2005. In Jacques-Louis David’s Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul, crossing the Alps at Great St. Bernard Pass, 20 May 1800 of 1803, a uniformed Napoleon sits comfortably astride a wild-eyed, rearing horse on a snow-covered mountainside, his bright red cape whipped by the wind. Jaques-Louis David, Napoleon Crossing the Alps, 1801. (2005) “Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps” [Oil on canvas, 9′ × 9′]. View fullsize. Additional shifts can be seen in traditional African signifiers. Lenzi, Carlotta. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. "NO POSER HERE; Acclaimed Artist Kehinde Wiley Paints Black Masculinity Anew.". The painting is Turner's response to Jacques-Louis David's portrait of Napoleon Crossing the Alps, of Napoleon leading his army over the Great St Bernard Pass in May 1800, which Turner had seen during a visit to Paris in 1802. Kehinde Wiley, Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, 2005 . Wiley. Wiley asks us to think about the biases of the art historical canon (the set of works that are regarded as “masterpieces”), representation in pop culture, an… "Jacques-Louis David: Artistic Interpretation in Tumultuous Times." Instead of the naturalistic setting of David’s painting, Wiley has inserted a decorative, unrealistic backdrop reminiscent of luxurious French fabric. When you see Kehinde Wiley’s Napoleon leading the Army over the Alps, it is reminiscent of Jacques-Louis David’s 19 th century painting, Napoleon Crossing the Alps, in more than just its name.Wiley’s 2005 reinterpretation of the 1801 painting takes the original and runs it through a process of modernization creating a vibrant 21 st century take on the portrait of the famed leader. "The Power of Decor: Kehinde Wiley's Interventions into the Construction of Black Masculine Identity." These massive portraits have displayed black men as heroic, confident, and regal, as in one of his most famous portrait paintings Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps (2005). This design is a recreation of Jacques-Louis David’s 1801 portrait of Napoleon. Wiley asks us to think about the biases of the art historical canon (the set of works that are regarded as “masterpieces”), representation in pop culture, an… Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, 2005. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Brooklyn Museum, Partial gift of Suzi and Andrew Booke Cohen in memory of Ilene R.Booke and in honor of Arnold L. Lehman, Mary Smith, Darward Fund, and William K. Jacobs, J. Sperm (detail), Kehinde Wiley, Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, 2005, oil paint on canvas, 274.3 x 274.3 cm (108 x 108 in) (Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York) (photo: Gayle Clemans) The Brooklyn Museum presents ‘Jacques-Louis David Meets Kehinde Wiley’, an exhibition pairing an iconic painting from the Museum’s collection—Kehinde Wiley’s ‘Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps’ (2005)—with its early nineteenth-century source image: Jacques-Louis David’s ‘Bonaparte Crossing the Alps… Boston,MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. The modern painting has a decorative background rather than the battlefield background. ( Log Out / This painting was chosen by a man who Wiley had approached in the streets. It is based on Jacques-Louis David’s 1801 equestrian portrait, Napoleon Crossing the Alps. It is in the Brooklyn Museum. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Along the way, he talks with those sitters, gathering their thoughts about what they should wear, how they might pose, and which historical paintings to reference. Initially commissioned by the King of Spain, the composition shows a strongly idealized view of the real crossing that Napoleon and his army made across the Alps through the Great St Bernard Pass in May 1800. But Wiley’s subject wears an outfit that is completely contemporary and reflective of a culture notorious for flashy imagery and larger than life figures: hip hop culture. Wiley’s painting, is a direct homage to the18th century French painter, Jacques-Louis David work, Napoleon Crossing the Alps. He sent his soldiers ahead on foot and followed a few days later, riding on a mule. Examples of work Background Napolean Leading the Army over the Alps "Napoleon" himself Who is Kehinde Wiley? His painting is slightly bigger and has a somewhat more elaborate frame. The basic composition of Wiley's painting is the same as the 200-year-old painting it was based on, and has many of the same elements. Wiley asks us to think about the biases of the art historical canon (the set of works that are regarded as “masterpieces”), representation in pop culture, and issues of race and gender. ( Log Out / Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Wiley makes another reference to lineage in the foreground where he retains the original painting’s rocky surface and the carved names of illustrious leaders who led troops over the Alps: NAPOLEON, HANNIBAL, and KAROLUS MAGNUS (Charlemagne). This young man wears camouflage fatigues, Timberland work boots, and a bandana—conjuring up militaristic associations with the original painting and with the violence of contemporary urban America, particularly as experienced by young black men. This act of appropriation reveals issues about the tradition of portraiture and all that it implies about power and privilege. 3. [1], The basic composition of Wiley's painting is similar to the well-known portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte by Jacques-Louis David, and the two paintings share many elements. Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, 2005. In this large painting, Kehinde Wiley, an African-American artist, strategically re-creates a French masterpiece from two hundred years before but with key differences. It’s the same painting. Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps is an equestrian portrait of a youthful black male painted by the contemporary artist Kehinde Wiley in 2005. And on the left, Kehinde Wiley’s “Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps” (2005), his appropriation of that picture. 108 in x 108in, square. Change ), Man Ray: American Filmmaker, Painter, Photographer. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. In this large painting, Kehinde Wiley, an African-American artist, strategically re-creates a French masterpiece from two hundred years before but with key differences. Here, Wiley replaces the original white subject—the French general-turned-emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (below)—with an anonymous black man whom Wiley approached on the street as part of his “street-casting process.” Although Wiley does occasionally create paintings on commission, he typically asks everyday people of color to sit for photographs, which he then transforms into paintings. This act of appropriation reveals issues about the tradition of portraiture and all that it implies about power and privilege. Napoleon Leading the Army Over the Alps By Kehinde Wiley 2005, realistic, painting, oil on canvas, two-dimensional. This particular subgenre of portraiture—the equestrian portrait—is particularly infused with the lineage of male power. Wiley calls attention to ideas about authority and historical representation, keeping many original elements and making significant alterations. The modern painting has a decorative background rather than … (274.3 x 274.3 cm). Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps. (L) Napoleon Leading the Army Over the Alps, 2005 by Kehinde Wiley | (R) Napoleon Crossing the Alps, 1801 by Jacques-Louis David From Our Blog The Library … Napoleon, in fact, did not pose for the original painting nor did he lead his troops over the mountains into Austria. It has become one of the most commonly reproduced images of Napoleon. 4. The subject of Wiley’s painting reveals his tattoos and wears red wristbands from the Starter sportswear company, details that add to the sense that this is a real individual living in the early 21st century. [2], Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/20/arts/design/review-kehinde-wiley-a-new-republic-at-the-brooklyn-museum.html?_r=0, http://www.artnet.com/artists/kehinde-wiley/biography, “Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps.”, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Napoleon_Leading_the_Army_over_the_Alps&oldid=1009002783, Articles lacking in-text citations from July 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Banks, Andre. Painting is about the world we live in. In this large painting, Kehinde Wiley, an African-American artist, strategically re-creates a French masterpiece from two hundred years before but with key differences. This background, along with the high-keyed colors, and ornate frame (complete with faux family shields and the artist’s self-portrait at the top) call attention to the artificiality and pompousness of image-making. From Brooklyn Museum, Kehinde Wiley, Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps (2005), Oil on canvas, 108 × 108 in Oil on canvas, 108 × 108 in. (274.3 × 274.3 cm). Published January 6, 2016 at 745 × 800 in Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic Collection of Suzi and Andrew B. Cohen. In Wiley's version, a young contemporary African-American male rider wears army fatigues, a white bandanna, tan boots, red sweatbands on his wrists, and a flowing golden cloak around his shoulders. However, some things stay the same: sword, cloak, details of the horse. Black men live in the world. (274.3 × 274.3 cm). 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. This is my way of saying yes to us. Kehinde Wiley – Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps(2005) In this large painting, Kehinde Wiley, an African-American artist, strategically re-creates a French masterpiece from two hundred years before but with key differences. This page was last edited on 26 February 2021, at 05:09. Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps is an equestrian portrait of a youthful black male painted by the contemporary artist Kehinde Wiley in 2005. My choice is to include them. Gardner's Art through the Ages (14th ed.). Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, 2005. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. The basic composition of Wiley's painting is the same as the 200-year-old painting it was based on, and has many of the same elements. Napoleon leading the Army over the Alps. This painting was chosen by a man who Wiley had approached in the streets. Oil on canvas. Fund, 2015.5. c Kehinde Wiley. Napoleon Leading the Army Over the Alps, 2005 Oil on canvas 108" x 108" (274.3 x 274.3 cm). Oil on canvas, 108 × 108 in. "Napoleon Leading the Army Over the Alps" (2005) by Kehinde Wiley. But, they have also represented black men as tragically vulnerable and simultaneously beautiful, as in his Down series. But Wiley also includes the name WILLIAMS—another insistence on including ordinary people of color who are often left out of systems of representation and glorification. Image USA: 3307 Third Ave W, Seattle, WA 98119 Canada: 126 Catharine Street, North Hamilton, ON L8R 1J4 image@imagejournal.org | 206-281-2988 PA05-037 Napoleon Leading the Army Over the Alps. The painting is very typical of the style of Kehinde Wiley in that it is a monumental painting that incorporates brocade/decorative motif as an element of the background. 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