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Study of Two Female Figures in Arched Border

Charles Sprague Pearce

1894

gouache

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Architectural

Dominant colour

Study of Two Female Figures in Arched Border is a 1894 gouache by Charles Sprague Pearce, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Charles Sprague Pearce
When & what style?: 1894 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows two pale, ghostly figures standing under a rough archway. The arch frames a simple scene: a building with a red roof, a patch of green trees, and a white wall. The figures’ arms stretch out toward the arch, as if holding it up. The colors are soft—blues, greens, and browns—with a lot of white and tan paper showing through. The painting looks unfinished, almost like a quick draft. The artist used loose brushstrokes and left some areas sketchy, especially the figures’ faces and hands. It feels more like a practice piece than a polished work. If you like this style, check out gouache to see how artists use it for sketching and color studies.