Francis Cotes
British, 1726 ‑ 1770
Double Portrait, 1757
Pastel on blue laid paper mounted on canvas
27 × 33 1/16 in. (68.6 × 83.9 cm.)
Bequest of Alice Speed Stoll
Frame conservation funded by Edith and Jacob Horn, The Horn Foundation  1998.6.2

A Masterful Drawing
Two young girls, probably sisters in their early teens, stroll through nature picking flowers. The girl on the right raises her hand in surprise, as if we’ve startled her as we walk up to the picture. The large scale of this double portrait, the animated portrayal of the girls, and the carefully rendered textures of the pearl-drop earrings and the silk and lace dresses make this a splendid example of pastel drawing.