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Jose John Santos III (b.1970) Queen of the House A modern realist with a classical flair, José John Santos III has been constantly traversing between the nostalgia of the past, contrasted with the present-day realities faced by the common man including his own. This portrait of a matriarch done in 2005 is depicted as the queen of the household, harkened from antiquity on the issue of the definitive role and status of the housewife. Titled after the 1965 hit single by American country singer Jody Miller, Santos plays a tune of social commentary towards what is the role of the woman in the household, who changes her mask to meet and address the needs of her family, her peers and the society at large. But in a Kafkaesque twist, Santos changes the narrative in portraying his sitter into a much regal and a commanding presence as an Oriental potentate with her fleur-de-lis crown, red ermine-like dress and her ivory mask serving as her personal scepter. The Marian imagery is quite reminiscent of early depictions of the Virgin Mary found in early Christian Southeast Asian Art done in the mid-16th and 17th century that has been married with royal portraiture during the Ancien regime of France prior to the revolution in 1789. signed and dated 2005 (lower right) oil on canvas 24”x 20” (61 cm x 51 cm)