Belgian Art Analysis: The Three Sisters By Leon Frederic

The Three Sisters, painted by the Belgian artist Leon Frederic in 1896, depicts three sisters all wearing red, peeling potatoes. At first glance, the painting seems to be nothing more than three girls just sharing a household chore, but Frederic’s choices of detail reveal themes of responsibility and guidance in a sibling relationship. One detail that demonstrates the theme of responsibility is the way in which the potato peels are arranged on each of the girls’ laps. The sister on the left has the peels in a neat pile, the sister on the right has the peels on the rim of the bowl and at her feet, and then the youngest sister sitting on the floor has potato peels falling off her lap onto the floor. While the two older sisters are clearly