La Soeur Aînée 

James Tissot, a French artist working in England, painted this scene of two sisters sometime in the 1870s, using oil on canvas. The painting encapsulates the Victorian ideal of domesticity and familial roles. Tissot was known for depicting scenes of modern life, particularly focusing on women in fashionable settings. Here, the elder sister, a picture of elegant restraint, is contrasted with the restless energy of the younger one, hinting at the different expectations placed on women of different ages and social classes in Victorian society. The book resting on the elder sister’s lap is a reminder of the limited roles and educational opportunities available to women at the time. The house and garden in the background suggest a life of bourgeois comfort. Historical sources, such as etiquette guides and fashion magazines, can tell us a great deal about the performance of social status in paintings like this. By studying these resources, we can see how artists either reinforced or subtly challenged the conventions of their time.