Two women, possibly the artist’s wife Alice and her sister Suzanne, have been chiselled into the picture like statues. The monumental canvas, the simplicity of the figures, and the grey palette evoke thoughts of art from earlier eras. The painting is based on inspiration from medieval art, French classicist painting, and African masks and sculptures, all united here in a hitherto unseen synthesis. The years 1912-14 constitute a high point in Derain’s production. He had left behind his experimentation and frequent changes of style, orienting himself towards art history instead. In 1910 Derain also moved away from Montmarte and closer to the Latin Quarter, seat of Paris’ intellectual scene.
