Through her art, Amy Sherald seeks to portray “everydayness as excellence.” A Midsummer Afternoon Dream, above, portrays a woman leaning against a bike, with Sherald’s own dog riding in the basket. As in Caillebotte’s work, loose fabric helps define the figure’s posture. But unlike the Impressionist’s subjects, Sherald’s 21st-century subject gazes directly at the viewer.
Sherald uses rich color throughout the life-sized scene, drawing attention to the summer day. A breeze blows the subject’s hair, her dress, the sunflowers, the dog’s fur, and even the tiny blades of grass. The woman is the calm focal point in the midst of an active scene. In the 2021 work, Sherald elevates a commonplace image of a woman and her bike through scale, dramatic color, and bold eye contact.