In 2018, Royal Museums Greenwich announced a new major acquisition by renowned American artist Kehinde Wiley. The acquisition, Ship of Fools (2017) was the first work by Kehinde Wiley to enter a British public collection.
In this 30-minute talk, Hannah Lyons will explore the ‘Ship of Fools’ theme, which imagined a ship commandeered by an untrained crew, and was popular in European Old Master paintings. The talk will draw out connections between these historical interpretations and Kehinde Wiley’s large contemporary painting, which depicts four migrants at sea, struggling to reach the land.
Hannah Lyons is Assistant Curator of Art at Royal Museums Greenwich. Before joining RMG, she worked in various curatorial roles at the V&A, Tate Britain, and Christ Church Picture Gallery at the University of Oxford.