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Credit LineLabel
Gift of Benjamin D. BernsteinLabel Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
Self-described as an “abstract figurative painter,” Keene–a Philadelphia-based artist–used vivid color, expressive line, and geometric abstraction to convey personal experiences and concerns—especially those related to local African American communities. He painted The Blind King early in his career, and its subject and style demonstrates the impact of his sojourns to Paris and Haiti in the 1950s on his work. The crowned figure, whose identity is uncertain, aligns with the spiritual and mythological themes Keene explored during these years. Swirling, tightly clustered lines and saturated reds, greens, golds and oranges create drama and tension.