Presented by the Phoenix Art Museum, Kehinde Wiley’s Memling features eight meticulous portraits referencing the work of the legendary 15th century Flemish master, Hans Memling. At a time when portraits were still rare, Memling was among the first to paint individuals who were not royalty or members of the clergy. Memling’s portraits of the increasingly influential powerful merchant class of his day represent a quiet revolution within Flemish society. Memling’s painting featured naturalistic settings which granted his sitters a veracity and life not found with the single color backgrounds previously used for individual portraiture while integrating this naturalistic background. The active gaze of Wiley’s sitters—a departure from Memling’s work—leads the viewer to think more carefully about the individual lives and experience behind the individuals depicted in the images.