Purvis Young — Procession and Witness (Angels and Mourning), Mixed-Media Diptych

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Purvis Young—Procession and Witness (Angels and Mourning), Mixed-Media Diptych, c. late 1980s–early 1990s

This evocative mixed-media diptych by Purvis Young … Read more Purvis Young—Procession and Witness (Angels and Mourning), Mixed-Media Diptych, c. late 1980s–early 1990s

This evocative mixed-media diptych by Purvis Young is a compelling example of the artist’s mature, spiritually charged work, executed on hand-assembled wooden supports with exposed nails and layered paint. Measuring 36 inches wide x 29 inches high x 3 inches deep, the piece possesses a strong physical presence, reinforcing the gravity of its subject matter.

The left panel presents a solemn procession through a graveyard scene, marked by crosses, gravestones, and compressed architectural forms that blur the line between sacred ground and urban environment. Young’s use of rough wood, visible fasteners, and scarred surfaces is intentional, echoing themes of endurance, suffering, and communal memory. The imagery suggests ritual and passage—an ongoing cycle of loss and remembrance central to the artist’s visual language.

In contrast, the right panel introduces two dark, angelic, or saint-like figures rendered in Young’s iconic, mask-like style. Their elongated faces and simplified features convey both watchfulness and compassion. The lower figure appears to sing or chant, transforming the composition into an act of spiritual witness rather than narrative illustration. Together, the panels function as a meditation on death and transcendence, with grief and guardianship held in deliberate balance.

Executed in a restrained yet powerful palette of ochres, yellows, blacks, and whites, the work demonstrates Young’s ability to achieve emotional intensity through economy of means. The diptych format enhances its impact, creating a dialogue between earthly sorrow and spiritual presence. This piece stands as a fully realized, museum-quality example of Purvis Young’s late work—raw, devotional, and deeply human. See less