John Singer Sargent, Portrait of Édouard and Marie-Louise Pailleron - 1881

What an astonishing portrait.

People talk about the psychological insight of the Mona Lisa, but just look at this girl; don't you feel like you know exactly who she is, and what kind of woman she will become?

And what became of her poor brother? Was he always in her sidekick, or did he like join the Navy or head off to San Francisco to escape her shadow?