Two Girls
Berthe Morisot·1894
Historical Context
Painted in 1894 and now in The Phillips Collection, Washington, this late canvas shows two girls together — a subject that allowed Morisot to explore both portraiture and social observation in a single composition. The pairing of two figures, the relationship between them suggested by proximity and gesture rather than explicit narrative, is typical of her compositional approach. By 1894 Morisot's technique had reached its most daring level of freedom, and these late two-figure compositions show an almost improvisatory approach to form.
Technical Analysis
The two figures are rendered with Morisot's most liberated late brushwork, the forms emerging from a web of varied strokes in which clothing, hair, and background interpenetrate. The palette is warm and light-filled, with whites and pale pinks dominating in a high-keyed harmony characteristic of her final period.
