Monsieur Riviere Among Us, after Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

This work is part of Anderle's series, 'Riviere Family Triptych'.

Jiří Anderle is best known for his fantastical etchings and graphic work that often depict human form as well as re-examine it within different contexts. This portrait may be likened to a replica of the Portrait of Monsieur Riviére by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. One may observe how closely Anderle’s collection of ghostly figures resemble machines or automatons in their anatomy. It is reminiscent of the Renaissance artist, Leonardo da Vinci’s, 'Vitruvian Man' (c.1490), exhibited through his formal analysis of the body. The image of Ingres in the center clearly displays Anderle’s formal academic skill, as he achieves a hyper-realistic portrait, but his ghostly figures introduce conversation of unanswered questions left to be discerned by the viewer. Anderle asks the viewer to consider the body, identity, industrial influence, and the relationship of oneself within society. Anderle leaves the true narrative as a mystery, giving the reader an opportunity to dissect the imagery on their own.

[Sabrina Piña-McMahon, wall text in "Suppression, Subversion, and the Surreal: The Art of Czechoslovakian Resistance," USC Fisher Museum of Art, March 9 - May 10, 2019.]