The Little Cavaliers 1861 - 1862

Editor: This is Edouard Manet's "The Little Cavaliers", an etching at the Harvard Art Museums. The gathering of figures feels a bit theatrical. What's your interpretation? Curator: I see a deliberate engagement with the past. Manet, living in a society undergoing massive shifts, invokes the imagery of 17th-century cavaliers. How does this idealized vision of aristocracy serve as a commentary, perhaps even a critique, of the values of his own time? Editor: So, it’s not just a historical scene, but a statement? Curator: Precisely. By referencing this specific historical imagery, Manet invites us to question the power structures and societal roles of his era, holding them up against a romanticized, yet equally problematic, past. It's a dialogue across time, isn't it? Editor: Definitely food for thought. Thanks for expanding my perspective.