The Two Sisters 1913

Andre Derain made *The Two Sisters* with oil paint, and just look at the way he builds his forms. They look like they are almost carved out of the darkness, like a sculpture. I love the way the figures are caught between light and shadow, especially the sister standing. There’s something haunting about it, the way her form sort of emerges from the background, like she’s both there and not there at the same time. You can see the brushstrokes, the way Derain layered the paint to create depth and texture. Take a look at the way the light falls on the sister’s right hand, there is something almost sculptural about the way the tones define the curves of her fingers. It reminds me of Picasso's portraits from the same period, which were also experimenting with the simplification of form, although Derain's is a bit more brooding. The whole painting feels like an ongoing conversation, a search for new ways of seeing and representing the world.