After Manet Possibly 2002 - 2015

Carrie Mae Weems made this photograph, After Manet, and it’s just, wow, what a mood. I'm really struck by this sepia-toned image of children. They’re posed like they know something—serious and poised, but relaxed, too, in the way kids are. They are outside in the grass, with flowers in their hair, and dappled light. The image is full of grace, and a certain unnameable thing that feels so important. I’m guessing it's not just the visual, but the whole process—the setting up, the thinking, the feeling of taking this photograph—that makes the work so intriguing. It feels like Weems is asking a question, or maybe just trying to work something out for herself, for us. Like what is seeing? And because art is never made in a vacuum, this piece is “after Manet”, which suggests artists are forever in dialogue, borrowing, responding, keeping the conversation alive across time. It makes you want to pick up a camera or a brush and join in.