Sisters

Two young women in ornate rococo-style gowns and powdered wigs sit close together in a garden thick with roses, lilies and irises. One holds a mandolin and fan, the other rests her hands together at the front, both gazing out at the viewer. A masked figure in a blue costume plays a pipe at the right, a sailing ship crosses distant water on the left, and a bowl of fruit and a small yellow bird sit in the foreground.

Saturated pinks, golds, blues and greens fill every inch of the canvas, with richly patterned fabrics painted in fine, jewel-like detail against dense layered flowers. The lavish ornament, decorative flatness and theatrical costumes give the scene a festive, opulent, fairy-tale energy.