The Swordsman of Harlem Walking through the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts you are able to see hundreds of pieces of art although, one stands out significantly. Kehinde Wiley's rendition of Willem Van Heythuysen instantly captivates everyone who sees it through its images, colors, and layout. Wiley, a New York based portrait painter casts all of his models on the streets on New York. He asks everyday people if they are interested in being a muse for his paintings. If they agree then they go to his studio for a photo shoot. He then replaces classical European paintings of nobleman, royalty, and aristocrats with his models. Wiley’s lavish larger-than-life paintings of African-Americans offer the spectacle and beauty of traditional master paintings while simultaneously critiquing their exclusion of people of …show more content…
The oil painting portrays a handsome even princely man from Harlem that mimics the seventeenth century merchant with a tall, strong, and powerful pose. With a hand of his hip, a sword in hand, and a straight facial expression the clean cut man looks regal despite being a regular man from off the street. Just as the original painting does, providing a regal stance despite it simply being a picture of a merchant. The model’s stylish hip hop street fashion displays that he is firmly in the present of urban American despite the roots of an olden painting. The illustration portrays a powerful man that gives off the sense of admiration and respect to the audience despite them never actually meeting him. Perhaps the message is that anyone can give off a presence of power and royalty regardless of being common people. I believe the target audience are African American people. They finally get to see someone that looks like them represented in a famous art