Locked out of school

In this painting we see two little girls, shown life-size, who have been locked out of school: they are Maria and Centa Rossi, the daughters of the painter's washerwoman. The work was shown at the Accademia di Brera in 1888, and it marks the painter's turning point towards a more markedly social interest in his portrayal of real people. The psychological insight is quite remarkable in this painting: for the younger child, being locked out of school means being able to skip boring lessons, and is thus a reason to be pleased. However, in her elder sister, who is now approaching the first responsibilities in her life, we can see all the anxiety she feels when thinking of the consequences her lateness will have.