Lot 399
Douglas J. Bourgeois (American/Louisiana, b. 1951), "Crucifixion of Narcisse", 1975, oil on canvas, signed and dated "October 17, 1975" lower right, 75 in. x 54 in., framed. Note: Known for his richly symbolic portrayals of celebrities and religious figures, Douglas Bourgeois masterfully depicts the tension between the secular and the divine in this monumental self-portrait. Painted in 1975 while the artist was living in Baton Rouge, Bourgeois spent his days working as a file clerk and his nights and weekends painting tirelessly in order to complete this canvas. The top of the painting proves brighter and more vibrant in color with angels filling the busy background which transforms into a chaotic and carnal scene as it progresses downward, a nod to a wealth of art historical depictions of the Last Judgment. Bourgeois depicts himself as Christ, crucified and complete with stigmata and lance wounds, presiding over the fate of the souls surrounding him. Religious iconography would continue to be a central component of Bourgeois work, unsurprising considering that as a teenager he had sincere intentions of becoming a priest. As David S. Rubin writes in the Contemporary Arts Centers monograph of the artist, Bourgeois neatly integrated secular elements with religious references a pairing that suggests the conflicts he himself was experiencing as he tried to reconcile his Catholic roots with his 1970s pop-culture lifestyle. Exh. 1977 Artists Biennial, organized by the New Orleans Museum of Art, May 28 July 3, 1977. Ref.: Bourgeois, Douglas, Dan Cameron, Estill Curtis Pennington, and David S. Rubin. Baby-boom Daydreams: The Art of Douglas Bourgeois. New York: Hudson Hills, 2003. p 4.
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