Dorothea and Francesca

"It doesn't pay to paint everybody." With this comment, Cecilia Beaux situated herself within the rarified group of successful late-19th-century portrait painters whose clientele was primarily the upper class. This full-length depiction of two of the daughters of Helena de Kay and Richard Watson Gilder is innovative in its portrayal of spontaneous movement. The Gilders were leaders of an artistic, literary, and musical circle in New York, and they were close friends of Beaux. The girls look down, rather than at the viewer, concentrating on their dance steps. The fluid brushstrokes and use of subtle color accurately convey motion and also give the appearance of a swiftly executed canvas; however, Beaux worked diligently on the picture for over two months. (Source: Art Institute of Chicago)