In this video, Wendy S. Walters recites the poem she wrote in response to Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux's sculpture "Why Born Enslaved!", which was recently acquired by The Met. In it, she confronts the power dynamics at play in creating and viewing a work of art that depicts an enslaved woman of African descent, and she wonders about the identity and status of the model who posed for Carpeaux.
Featured Artwork: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/824469
"Why Born Enslaved!"
Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
Modeled 1868, carved 1873
Marble
Purchase, The Wallace Foundation, Wrightsman Fellows Gifts, and Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation Gift, 2019
2019.220
MetCollects introduces highlights of works of art recently acquired by The Met through gifts and purchases. Discover a new work each month.
A Poet’s Response to Carpeaux's “Why Born Enslaved!” | MetCollects
Poet Wendy S. Walters confronts the power dynamics at play in creating and viewing Carpeaux’s Why Born Enslaved!
3 min. watch
More from The Met
How did John Wilson’s depiction of violence towards Black families embody systemic problems facing Black mothers in the United States?
Lisa E. Farrington and Leslie Farrington
January 7
"In this portrait of her contemporary, Helene Schjerfbeck has revealed a moment of truth, repelled and secreted away."
Leena Krohn
December 18, 2025
Video
December 11, 2025
Art Mentioned
A slider containing 1 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
modeled 1868, carved 1873