Last year, Jackson commissioned artist Kehinde Wiley–known for his images of Black men in street clothes striking Renaissance style poses and set in complex backgrounds–to paint his portrait. While MJ didn’t get a chance to see the finished piece, Wiley’s painting showed at Art Basel Miami Beach at the booth for NYC gallery Deitch and sold for $175,000. The elaborateness of MJ being crowned by cherubs while sitting on a horse with it’s front hooves in this slightly dark image is classic Kehinde Wiley just taken up a notch for the king of pop.
Painting of Michael Jackson Sells for $175K
Last year, Jackson commissioned artist Kehinde Wiley--known for his images of Black men in everyday street clothing striking Renaissance poses--to paint his portrait. While MJ didn't get a chance to see the finished piece, Wiley's painting showed at the prestigious international art fair, Art Basel Miami Beach, last weekend and sold for a whooping $175,000. In the painting, the King of Pop is riding a white steed while wearing head-to-toe regalia and being crowned by two cherubs hovering over his head. Wiley primarily focuses on the common man, who he finds on the street in urban neighborhoods, but occaionally creates works on celebrities. Past subjects have included Ice-T, Pharrell Williams, and LL Cool J.
Last year, Jackson commissioned artist Kehinde Wiley–known for his images of Black men in street clothes striking Renaissance style poses and set in complex backgrounds–to paint his portrait. While MJ didn’t get a chance to see the finished piece, Wiley’s painting showed at Art Basel Miami Beach at the booth for NYC gallery Deitch and sold for $175,000. The elaborateness of MJ being crowned by cherubs while sitting on a horse with it’s front hooves in this slightly dark image is classic Kehinde Wiley just taken up a notch for the king of pop.