Kehinde Wiley, Morpheus. Oil on canvas.
Working exclusively in portraiture, Kehinde Wiley fuses traditional formats and motifs with modern modes of representation. Selecting works from old masters from art history, Wiley replaces the original figures with young African American men from his community in New York. (In recent years Wiley has begun painting women and people outside of the U.S.). Morpheus, a painting of grand scale is installed right behind the Front Desk and is often times the first piece of art our guests see when entering the Lobby. It’s a great representation of our current exhibition Dress Up, Speak Up and additionally very fitting for a hotel, since Morpheus from Greek Mythology (and the film The Matrix) is the God of Dreams.
Interested in learning more about our featured exhibitions? Docent tours are available every Wednesday and Friday at 5pm (except for the last Friday of the month). These tours are free and open to the public. Grab a drink at Metropole and meet us in the lobby!
