After Memling's Portrait of Man with a Coin of the Emperor Nero
T-Shirt
![Arnold R. Fesser: oiler (17 years at sea), 1944, courtesy of the National Archives.](http://wileyar.site.seattleartmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/01/African_Americans_WWII-821x1024.jpg)
Arnold R. Fesser: oiler (17 years at sea), 1944, courtesy of the National Archives.
![Salt-N-Pepa, 1995. © Berliner Studio / BEImages. Photo: Alex Berliner.](http://wileyar.site.seattleartmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/01/Salt-N-Pepa.jpg)
Salt-N-Pepa, 1995. © Berliner Studio / BEImages. Photo: Alex Berliner.
In traditional portraiture, fashion and materials convey the specific status and class of a sitter—but in Wiley’s work, the model’s plain white T-shirt can offer many interpretations. Originally an undergarment for men in the U.S. Navy in the early 20th century, the T-shirt has since become a fashion staple for men and women of all walks of life.