Portrait of Simon George II, 2007.

Kehinde Wiley (American, born 1977)

Oil on canvas, 72 in. x 60 in. Crocker Art Museum purchase with contributions from Denise and Donald Timmons; the Marcy and Mort Friedman Acquisition Fund for Contemporary Art; Marcy Friedman; Emily Leff and James Davis III; the Becky B. Krisik Fund; Linda M. Lawrence; Nancy Lawrence and Gordon Klein; Glenn Sorensen, Jr.; David Gibson and William Ishmael; and others., 2017.130

Painting

21st Century

Modern and Contemporary Art

Theme: Portraits

black artists

california artists

flowers and plants

people

lgbtq artists

photorealism

Details

  • artist/culture
    Kehinde Wiley
  • nationality
    American, born 1977
  • title
    Portrait of Simon George II
  • date
    2007
  • medium
    Oil on canvas
  • dimensions
    72 in. x 60 in.
  • credit line
    Crocker Art Museum purchase with contributions from Denise and Donald Timmons; the Marcy and Mort Friedman Acquisition Fund for Contemporary Art; Marcy Friedman; Emily Leff and James Davis III; the Becky B. Krisik Fund; Linda M. Lawrence; Nancy Lawrence and Gordon Klein; Glenn Sorensen, Jr.; David Gibson and William Ishmael; and others.
  • accession no.
    2017.130
  • collection
    Modern and Contemporary Art
Student Perspectives – Portrait of Simon George II

This poem by Sacramento State student Barbara Webb was inspired by Kehinde Wiley’s Portrait of Simon George II.

I See You

I see you
I see your greatness before you walked past
I couldn’t let you pass
I see you
I see your beauty, it’s captivating
Let's capture it
With every brushstroke, let it flood the room
Audiences pour in, they fill the room
They see you
Your face will fill the room
captivating all that lays eyes on you
Tears swell, eyes as red as the blood that surrounds you
The splatter misses you
As the blue shield of your ancestors protects you
They got you
Nigeria across your chest, your hometown sees you
Dodger stadium stands fill, crowds flood in
They’re rooting for you
Strength when we see you
Like the vines that surround you
As delicate as fine jewelry
I see you
I saw your nobility as you walked by
I couldn’t let you pass
I see you

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