Set of 5 Polychrome Heads

William Kentridge
Set of 5 Polychrome Heads, 2014
Bronze, oil paint
Sculpture I: 30 x 21 x 8.5 cm

In his investigation of the substance of the opera Lulu William Kentridge produced a series of portrait heads, the Roman Heads, many of which are characterised by a manouevre of formal deception. Although the objects are cast in bronze, Kentridge and the painter Stella Olivier are able to evoke the character of transitory materials such as cardboard, adhesive tape or newspaper. The artist reflects on the phenomenon of ancient polychrome statues in his series Polychrome Heads. Paint is used to render the intrinsic colour of the counterfeited material, as well as the ornamentation of printed paper. Handbook to O Sentimental Machine, Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung, 2018