Two Women

In the early twentieth century, artists tapped into European Renaissance subjects and traditions to elevate American art. Bellows used Titian’s Sacred and Profane Love as his source for Two Women. In Titian’s painting, a seated bride represents profane love, and Venus, who holds the burning flame of eternal happiness, symbolizes sacred love. In Bellows’s version, the women sit in a modern-day living room wearing contemporary dress. The nude figure of sacred love holds a rosary, while the fully clothed woman representing profane love clutches a purse.

When Two Women debuted, critics recognized its playfulness, “No canvas seen here for a long time is so full of daring, of invention, or the spirit of adventure, as well as a quite inescapable note of humor.”