The Frankland Sisters

John Hoppner

National Gallery of Art

In this painting, two young women are depicted sitting closely together. They are positioned side by side, with the woman on the left slightly leaning against the other woman and looking to the right, while the woman on the right looks out at us. Both women have pale skin and light eyes, and they wear neutral expressions. The woman on the left has curly brown-and-gray hair adorned with a light blue ribbon, while the woman on the right has her blonde hair styled under a cream-colored bonnet. Both are dressed in elegant, high-waisted white gowns tied at the waist with pale blue sashes. The woman on the left has her arm around the other woman's shoulders, and she holds a paper scroll in one hand. The woman on the right holds a large red folder filled with several white papers in her right hand, and she holds something small and gold in her other hand. On the left, a sleeping brown-and-white dog rests at their feet, nestled into the fabric of the women's skirts. Tall, dark trees are behind the women in the upper right corner, while the background in the upper left corner showcases a serene, hilly landscape featuring olive-green foliage and a distant view of a tall blue mountain under a partly cloudy light blue sky.