Two Women Conversing Near House 1790

Richard Westall rendered “Two Women Conversing Near House” using pen and brown ink with gray wash, sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. Westall lived through a period of immense social and political change. The women in Westall’s drawing appear contained, perched on a rock with their hats firmly on their heads. We might consider the drawing a vignette of domesticity. The women seem trapped between the confines of their gender and social expectations. Are they free to express themselves? To pursue their own desires? What do we make of their exchange? The artist doesn't provide us with answers, but the drawing opens up a space to consider the lives of women in Westall’s era. The drawing becomes a poignant reflection on the complexities of gender, class, and identity.