Horse Market, Persian Stables, Bombay 

Curator: This painting is "Horse Market, Persian Stables, Bombay" by Edwin Lord Weeks, and is held in a private collection. What do you think? Editor: It feels strangely timeless, bathed in this sun-drenched atmosphere. The building on the left, what architectural styles and influences are visible there? Curator: I'm drawn to how Weeks handles the materiality of the scene. Look at the layers of impasto in the horses’ coats and the garments, contrasting the smoother texture of the architecture. Editor: And that specific contrast reinforces the symbolic importance of the horses, yes? They're brought forward, emphasized, almost heroic in their posture. What's your sense of the social commentary Weeks might be offering here? Curator: Weeks was quite interested in portraying labor and commerce in the East, and so what stands out to me here are the details, say, in the dress of those who seem to be brokering a deal. Consider, too, the tents along the back: this work is deeply informed by observation. Editor: Observation filtered through a specific lens, perhaps? Given the time period and the colonial context, it is hard not to see the influence of Orientalism in how this moment is captured and then re-presented. Curator: But there's also, undeniably, an admiration. Weeks dedicated a great deal of time and labor to observe the making of art of place and try to paint with fidelity to material fact and cultural tradition. Editor: Perhaps it shows a merging of observation and idealization then. For all its apparent realism, there's a theatrical quality as if this horse market embodies a much larger set of socio-cultural power dynamics. Curator: Ultimately, that's where this canvas lives for me – in the interplay between capturing real moments and, for lack of a better word, also trying to reify the making of culture. Editor: A persuasive dance of symbol and substance; I hadn’t quite grasped the layered meanings within until now.