Artist: R.V. Monroe (Robert & Venice Monroe)
Medium: Laser engraving on natural wood, mounted on hand-painted wood panels within a custom wood frame
Dimensions: 12 inch X 12 inch
 
Description:
 
The Crown Remains is a portrait of a different kind of royalty—one shaped not by conquest, but by memory, longevity, and the weight of all that’s been carried. The elder figure sits centered, unmoved. His gaze is direct, not confrontational, but full of quiet knowledge. Every wrinkle is a record. Every adornment is earned.
 
The work is laser engraved on natural wood, chosen for its permanence and organic depth. The grain, left partially exposed, interacts with the lines of the face, reinforcing the idea that legacy is layered into the body over time. The crown atop his head is symbolic—not of power seized, but of wisdom kept.
 
Created by R.V. Monroe, the collaborative practice of Robert and Venice Monroe, this piece blends craft and reverence. Robert’s background across Brooklyn and the American South, shaped by sound, independence, and ancestral rhythm, informs the figure’s presence. Venice, a mother and mental health professional raised in Detroit, ensures the emotional resonance is exacting—never embellished, only revealed.
 
The black frame encasing the work functions like a throne room wall—framing the figure not as decoration, but as declaration. This is a man who has seen cycles turn, yet still sits crowned. Still present.
 
The Crown Remains is not about looking royal. It is about being remembered as such.