This art piece is of two sisters, Bessie and Clara Stillman. The description next to the painting said that they were the sisters of powerful financier James Stillman. Just by this I could infer that they were women of high status, that they got painted. The painting itself intrigued me because it was so mysterious. Similar to the Mona Lisa, the viewer is left to infer so much. It’s one of those paintings at which one can stare at for hours and some new thought will keep coming in mind. Both the sisters have facial expressions that express slight happiness. Both are also looking at different directions. What are they looking at? They are fully covered in black. Are they both widows? One has her hands on the waist of the other which seems to imply intimacy. Are they lovers? Thoughts, ideas and questions kept coming to my mind while looking at the painting and that’s why it intrigued me so much.
