We don't know who these girls are. The painting's title tells us only they are sisters. They are bundled up a bit and playing piggy back. There is the table we saw in The Picture Book and the straw chair which appears in many von Uhde paintings. The wood plank floor is without carpeting. The walls are sooty or haven't been painted in a long time. But none of this matters. For all that is lacking, they have each other. Helen Keller could not speak, see or hear. Still, she said: "So much has been given to me, I haven't time to consider what has been denied."
I notice that whenever the artist paints even part of a window he puts a potted plant on the sill. Maybe it's a signature piece that suggests we might always look for the light. There's so much darkness in our world — look for the light.
Years ago I stayed for two weeks in a Camaldolese Monastery at the top of Monte Corona in Perugia, Italy. Before I went into the hermitage, I asked the guest brother, "What should I leave for my stay here?" He said, "We ask for nothing." I pressed a little further, "But what do you want for my staying here?" Without pausing he said, "Only your comfort." That's the real Christian answer, "Only your comfort."
This older sister in the painting seems to understand. There are no toys around, no table loaded with food, no other persons in sight, and she picks up her sister up for a classic childhood game. The little girl is obviously thrilled with it all. "Only your comfort.," the monk said.
