The Last Time Emmett Modeled Nude 1987

Sally Mann created "The Last Time Emmett Modeled Nude," using black and white photography, a medium which carries its own historical weight. Consider the gaze in this photograph. Emmett, the artist’s son, looks directly at us from the ambiguous space of the water. It can be read in many ways, but how might this image speak to larger conversations around the representation of children, particularly boys, in art? Sally Mann is known for her intimate, sometimes controversial, depictions of her family. Her work challenges traditional notions of childhood innocence, raising questions about privacy, sexuality, and the power dynamics within families. As Mann herself has said, "Photographs open doors into our memories, but they also close doors." This image makes us reflect on the complexities of family relationships, the passage of time, and how we grapple with the visual representation of our loved ones.