Sleep Bath/Beach Towel by Kehinde Wiley

Gorgeous gift for the art lover for holidays, Kwanzaa, Christmas or Festivus. This lightweight, limited edition towel features Kehinde Wiley’s 2008 painting Sleep, reimagined from Jean-Bernard Restout’s 1771 painting of the same name. Kehinde Wiley is an acclaimed contemporary Black painter known for his distinctive portraits - he has painted portraits of the Obamas, among others, and his work is collected in most major galleries. In the image reproduced on this limited edition towel, we see a langorously reclining model with luminously painted skin, draped in funerary-like cloth with his feet crossed atop a wooden plank. Wiley personifies his model to reflect the theological narratives permeating throughout his oeuvre. In an attempt to differentiate his works from the singular figure studies of his time, Restout included wings and poppies to his subject, composing a larger narrative beyond the skill of the artist's hand. Although Wiley's rendition deliberately focuses on the physicality of his human subject alone, it simultaneously ushers in the weight of art history behind it. Proceeds from your purchase support the artist in residence program Black Rock Sénégal, founded by Wiley in 2019. New and Unused in original packaging - one of a limited edition of 750. Beach/bath towel, 50/50 Turkish cotton / polyester; Measures 31 x 71 inches; from a limited edition of 750, machine washable.