Guard Down

In this painting, the boxer’s gloves are raised, but the usual language of strength seems to falter. His lowered gaze and stillness shift the image away from competition and toward a more private state.

Part of Francien Krieg’s ongoing exploration of masculinity and vulnerability, the work looks at the moment when defence becomes uncertain — when the body is prepared to fight, but the person inside it is somewhere else.

The bright yellow gloves almost become a kind of armour, set against a figure who appears withdrawn, young and exposed.