Man and I.V.
Trained in the traditions of classical European painting, Steers deeply admired the works of historical court artists such as van Dyke, Velazquez, and Jacques-Louis David. Steers lived in New York from the mid-1980s on and remained HIV-positive but asymptomatic for a decade or so while numerous friends and acquaintances succumbed to AIDS in the long years before successful treatment finally made the disease more manageable (and less stigmatized). Beginning with his diagnosis and subsequent hospitalization for HIV-related pneumonia in 1991, Steers began to appear in his work as a distinctive alter ego, always dressed in a hospital gown and high-heeled pumps. Here, the fantasy figure Steers called Hospital Man poses like a Rococo king, his rolling I.V. as his scepter and his hospital bed as his erstwhile throne. He stands with hands on hips—full contrapposto—and his regality and power seemingly belie the fate that so devastatingly awaits him.
Artwork Details
- Title: Man and I.V.
- Artist: Hugh Steers (American, Washington, DC 1962–1995 New York)
- Date: 1994
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 65 1/4 × 47 3/8 × 1 3/8 in. (165.7 × 120.3 × 3.5 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Anonymous Gift, in memory of Florent Molard, 2022
- Object Number: 2022.423
- Rights and Reproduction: © 2022 Estate of Hugh Steers / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Georgia O'Keeffe
1927
Yasuo Kuniyoshi
1924
Edward Hopper
1930
Charles Sheeler
1931
Norman Lewis
1978
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.