The Two Jamaican Girls 1937

Augustus John painted these two girls from Jamaica with oil on canvas. I wonder if the painting was made in one sitting or in many stages. Did the girls pose for hours, or did the artist work from memory? Look how John has built up their faces with layers of brushstrokes. The girls' skin isn’t just one color; it’s a mix of browns, reds, and even blues. Isn’t that interesting? It makes their faces feel alive, like they're breathing. There is this kind of quiet, somber tone that the artist brings in. It’s a simple composition, but there is something very powerful in the way that they gaze out. It reminds me a little of some of Alice Neel’s portraits - though John's approach is much more classical. What's great about painting is how we can all look at the same thing, but see it differently. It's like we’re all in this big conversation, bouncing ideas off each other, across time and space.