Sisters dwell in distinct developmental stages for The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit. This famous John Singer Sargent painting holds viewers rapt in a sisterhood spell. Four year old Julia faces us. As the youngest, she most wants and needs our attention. Julia's also the most rooted in place as the only sitting sister.

She clutches a pink baby doll in her lap. This makes sense given the loneliness of the portrait. It's a painting of a family without any familial sense. Pricey objects and paintings stand in for parents. The space seems vast and empty - more museum than home.

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