The artwork, titled “The Reading,” was created by Henri Fantin-Latour in 1870. This oil on canvas painting belongs to the Realism art movement and is classified under portrait and genre painting. It is currently housed in the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, Portugal.
The artwork depicts an intimate scene featuring two women. One woman is engaged in reading a book, attentively absorbed in its content. She is dressed in a light-colored blouse with a high collar and a dark skirt, exuding an air of quiet concentration. Beside her, another woman sits, gazing directly at the viewer with a composed and contemplative expression. She is adorned in a dark garment, accentuated by a vibrant blue bow in her hair and a red fabric draped across her lap. The setting is calm and cultivated, with delicate flowers in the background adding a touch of natural beauty to the scene. The painting’s rich tones and meticulous details exemplify the realism and depth characteristic of Fantin-Latour’s work.
