Which American portrait painter, based in New York City, is known for naturalistic paintings of Black people that reference Old Master paintings?

• A. Kara Walker
• B. Jacob Lawrence
• C. Kehinde Wiley
• D. Elizabeth Catlett

Answer: (C)

This question tests understanding of contemporary portraiture that places Black sitters in the lineage of Old Master painting. Kehinde Wiley is known for creating large, naturalistic portraits of Black people that directly reference and reimagine Old Master paintings, with poses and settings lifted from Renaissance and Baroque masters. He is an American portrait painter who has been based in New York City, and his work, including iconic portraits like that of Barack Obama, foregrounds Black subjects within those classical, historic modes. The other artists, while influential in their own right, do not embody this specific combination of naturalistic portraiture and Old Master reference in a New York-based context.