Two Sisters 1923

Vilhelm Lundstrom painted Two Sisters with oil on canvas, we don't know exactly when, but it feels like the sisters have been sitting there for a long time. Look at those blues and greens, earthy browns, and pale sky; the painting is a mix of quiet tones. I’m really struck by the painting's surface. It’s thick and crusty in some places, smooth in others, like Lundstrom was building up the image, scraping back, reconsidering, and just going over it again. See the way the paint sort of drags across the surface of their dresses? Lundstrom wasn't interested in hiding the process. It's almost like he’s reminding us that this is paint, these are brushstrokes, and he's not trying to trick anyone with realism. He's using this medium to evoke something deeper about these two sisters. What's their story? What are they thinking? I feel like I can only guess, which is part of the joy of looking. It’s a reminder that painting is this ongoing conversation, a way for artists to talk to each other across time.