Robert Hodgins, Figure By A River ,2006
Procedencia : [Propriété non datée]
- Ebony, Cape Town
Exhibited : Goodman Gallery, Robert Hodgins, 17 March to 14 April 2007.
Literature :
Notas : Known for his indulgence in satirical social commentary, Robert Hodgins has long employed painting as a site for the mockery of self-important figures. Despite the absence of the artist’s archetypal pinstripe-suited characters, Figure by a River is certainly no exception. In a Rothko-esque fashion, Hodgins’ composition is defined by flattened planes of colour in shades of bold magenta below and blushing pink above. In an act of audacious abstraction, a single blue shape is left to signify the titular river. The isolated figure, nude, appears to be edging out of the picture’s frame—clearly aware of his seemingly abrupt exposure. Painted in 2006, Hodgins makes reference to an event which took place many centuries prior; the Battle of Cascina. In 1364, the Florentine army was taken by surprise in an attack by the Pisans when they were found, mid-battle, bathing naked in the river Arno. The scene was famously depicted by Michelangelo, who was commissioned in 1504 to create a fresco for the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. The tableau provided the Old Master the opportunity to show off his technical ability, whilst depicting a favoured subject: the male nude. For Hodgins, the contemporary re-imagining speaks, quite literally, to the naked vulnerability of leaders and heroes. Stripped of their armour (or the pinstripe suit), their fragility is exposed. In a moment of humility and humanity, they are left simply looking pretty in pink. LT
Condition_report : The overall condition is good. Colours are vibrant and stable. Fly speck in areas.
