Lena Rivera
In season 2 of Marvel's Luke Cage, a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting, Red Kings, hangs in Harlem's Paradise, the club owned by Mariah Dillard. Mariah's minion, Shades, advises her to sell the painting to solve her financial woes, but she refuses, as she wants to preserve her family's legacy. The painting drives the plot forward, as Mariah's decision not to sell it ultimately leads to her downfall and loss of wealth. Instead, she sells a lucrative gun business to a Jamaican gang, which raises a set of unanswered questions and sets up a conflict for a potential third season.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Painting name | "Red Kings" or "Two Kings" |
| Artist | Jean-Michel Basquiat |
| Year | 1981 or 1982 |
| Depicts | Two crowns |
| Owner | Mariah Dillard |
| Location | Harlem's Paradise |
| Show | Luke Cage |
| Network | Netflix |
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What You'll Learn
Jean-Michel Basquiat's Red Kings
Jean-Michel Basquiat's "Red Kings" is a painting that appears in season 2 of Marvel's Luke Cage. In the show, the painting is owned by the character Mariah Dillard, who took over the Stokes organisation after killing her cousin Cornell. Mariah's minion, Shades, advises her to sell the painting to solve her financial woes, but she refuses. The painting is eventually donated to a museum in Harlem.
"Red Kings" was painted by Basquiat in 1981 when he was 21 years old. It is a double portrait, with the figure on the left representing Basquiat himself, crowned and with the letters B, Q, and S appearing in the four blank spaces indicating the eyes, nose, and mouth. The portrait on the right is a skull, which has been interpreted as representing Pablo Picasso. The crowns in this painting have more points, while in later paintings by Basquiat, the crowns took on a simpler three-pointed shape, which has been interpreted as representing the artist Andy Warhol. Basquiat was known to be ambitious and the crown has been interpreted as a symbol of his ambition to become king of the pack. The use of the crown motif in Basquiat's work has become a recognisable symbol in popular culture.
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Mariah's refusal to sell the painting
In Season 2 of Marvel's Luke Cage, the character Mariah Dillard is advised by her minions, including Shades, to sell a painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat, titled "Red Kings", which has been in her family since 1981. This sale would have solved her financial woes, as the painting was potentially worth millions. However, Mariah refuses to sell the painting.
Mariah's refusal to sell the Basquiat painting stems from her desire to preserve her family's legacy. Showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker explains that "Mariah understands the power of legacy and a family. She's trying to hold onto that." The painting, "Two Kings", featuring two crowns, also symbolises the joint rule of Mariah and Shades over Harlem's Paradise. Additionally, the painting holds intimate connections to the Stokes family, further emphasising its significance to Mariah.
Despite her financial troubles, Mariah chooses to sell the hammer guns and put up the club as collateral for a stock deal, ultimately leading to her downfall and the loss of her wealth. Shades continuously questions Mariah's motivation, asking, "Why hold the legacy of a family that you hate?"
Mariah's refusal to sell the Basquiat painting reflects her complex character and the importance she places on family, power, and symbolism. This decision also sets in motion a series of events that drive the plot forward, showcasing the impact of her choices on the narrative arc of the show.
In the end, Mariah's refusal to sell the painting leads to her doom, as Bushmaster burns down her house and she loses her wealth. Upon her death, the Basquiat painting is donated to a museum in Harlem.
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The painting's influence on the plot
Jean-Michel Basquiat's "Two Kings" hangs in Harlem's Paradise in season 2 of Marvel's Luke Cage. The painting first appeared at the end of season one when Mariah, who has taken over the club after killing her cousin Cornell (aka the gangster Cottonmouth), hangs it up. Mariah's goal is expansion and legitimization. She wants to move the Stokes organization into the legitimate world, which requires cash. Her confident and lover, Shades, recommends that she sell the painting, but she refuses, choosing instead to sell off a lucrative gun business to a Jamaican gang led by the revenge-obsessed John McIver (Bushmaster). This choice ultimately leads to her downfall and signals the end of her wealth.
The painting is a family heirloom, and Mariah is attached to it because of its connection to her family legacy. Throughout the season, Shades advises her to "flip the Basquiat," arguing that she could solve all her financial woes by selling the priceless painting. The painting is an original work by neo-expressionist Jean-Michel Basquiat, a celebrated African-American artist from New York who imbued his works with themes of rich versus poor, integration versus segregation, and internal versus external strife.
The painting's presence helps drive the plot forward and reflects who is in charge of Harlem and how they rule it. With Cottonmouth, it was the Notorious BIG painting, representing his ruthless crime boss persona. With Mariah, it is "Two Kings" by Basquiat, representing her family's wealth and her own vanity.
The showrunner, Cheo Hodari Coker, explains that Basquiat "always had an influence" on Luke Cage. From the beginning, another Basquiat painting, "Charles the First" (1982), was meant to hang in Harlem's Paradise when Cottonmouth ran the club in Season 1. However, the rights fell through at the last minute, and they had to choose a different painting.
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Its reflection of power in Harlem
In Season 2 of Marvel's Luke Cage, the painting in question is "Red Kings", a 1981 artwork by neo-expressionist artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. It is owned by the fictional character Mariah Dillard, who took over the club Harlem's Paradise after killing her cousin, the gangster Cottonmouth.
The painting reflects power in Harlem in several ways. Firstly, it represents the wealth and prestige of the Stokes organisation, which Mariah inherited and aims to legitimise and expand. Secondly, it symbolises the internal conflict Mariah faces as she grapples with her family legacy, which is tainted by criminality and violence. By refusing to sell the painting, she clings to that legacy despite her advisor Shades urging her to let it go. This dilemma reflects the broader theme of power and control in Harlem, as various characters vie for dominance and struggle with their moral compasses.
The painting also serves as a plot device, driving the narrative forward as Mariah's refusal to sell it leads to a series of events that ultimately contribute to her downfall. Additionally, the presence of a Basquiat painting in the show reflects the influence of hip-hop culture on Luke Cage, with the artist being regarded as a "hip-hop artist" due to his works exploring themes of dichotomy and his influence on the emergence of hip-hop.
Furthermore, the choice of a Basquiat painting specifically reflects the show's exploration of power dynamics and social issues. Basquiat himself imbued his artworks with themes of rich versus poor, integration versus segregation, and internal versus external strife, mirroring the complexities of power struggles depicted in Luke Cage.
Finally, the act of replacing the Biggie painting with a Muhammad Ali poster by Luke at the end of Season 2 symbolises his own internal conflict about the kind of hero he wants to be, and his struggle to balance morality with the use of power in Harlem.
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Luke Cage's replacement of the Biggie painting
In season 2 of Marvel's Luke Cage, the character Luke takes down a painting of Biggie Smalls, also known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie, and replaces it with an image of Muhammad Ali throwing a punch. This is an important moment in Luke's character arc, as he struggles with the war inside himself over what kind of hero he wants to be and what kind of hero he needs to be.
The Biggie painting, titled "King of New York", depicts the rapper with a crown and was chosen by the showrunner, Cheo Hodari Coker, to represent the character Cottonmouth's "ruthless crime boss persona". The painting hangs in the office of Harlem's Paradise, a club that is passed down from Cottonmouth to Mariah and then to Luke.
Mariah inherits the club and the painting at the beginning of season 2. Her advisor, Shades, continuously asks her throughout the season, "Why hold the legacy of a family that you hate?" referring to the painting. Rather than sell the painting, Mariah sells off a lucrative gun business, signalling her ultimate doom and raising a set of unanswered questions.
When Luke inherits the club and the painting from Mariah, he replaces the Biggie painting, symbolising his choice to become a different kind of crime boss and hero than Cottonmouth and Mariah.
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Frequently asked questions
The painting in Luke Cage season 2 is a neo-expressionist work by Jean-Michel Basquiat called "Red Kings", painted in 1981.
The painting is significant as it symbolises who is in charge of Harlem and how they rule it. The painting is owned by the family of Mariah, who is in charge of Harlem's Paradise.
Another painting featured in the show is a poster of rapper Biggie Smalls, also known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie, wearing a crown. This is replaced by a painting of Muhammad Ali throwing a punch.
