Portrait of Maria and Catherine, the Daughters of Edward Thurlow, 1st Baron Thurlow 1783

George Romney painted "Portrait of Maria and Catherine, the Daughters of Edward Thurlow, 1st Baron Thurlow" at a time when portraits were a way for the elite to assert their status. But, the intimate setting of this piece feels like something more than a status symbol. What does it mean to witness these sisters poised at the cusp of adulthood, their identities so intertwined yet distinct? In the late 1700’s, women’s worth was often tied to their marriageability and domestic skills. Here, the piano represents a cultivated accomplishment, one of the few paths through which women could express themselves. Look at the girls’ delicate features, their demure gazes; they invite our gaze, yet remain guarded. In their soft, pale dresses, they embody an ideal of feminine purity and grace. Yet, is there a hint of longing, a whisper of dreams beyond the confines of their expected roles? Romney captures not just their likeness, but a moment of poised anticipation, hinting at the complex negotiations of identity and expectation that defined women’s lives in this era.