You’ve probably seen it on your feed. Two women, side by side, staring back with a gaze that feels way too modern for the 1650s. One is Black, one is white. They’re dressed in nearly identical, high-end silk. Their hair is coiffed in those tight, expensive curls that scream "I have staff." But then you look closer. Their faces are covered in these weird, dark shapes—stars, crescent moons, even a tiny horse and carriage. Honestly, the first time I saw the Allegorical Painting of Two Ladies, I thought it was a modern commentary on beauty standards.
It’s not. It’s nearly 400 years old.
For a long time, this work was tucked away in a private collection, basically a mystery. It belonged to the estate of Lloyd Tyrell-Kenyon, the 6th Baron Kenyon. He once called it a "curious picture" he couldn't quite explain. When it finally hit the auction block in Shropshire back in 2021, the art world basically lost its mind. Why? Because in an era where Black people were almost always painted as "props" or servants in the background, these two women are standing on equal ground.
What the "Portrait of Two Women" Is Actually Saying
People call it a "portrait," but that's a bit of a misnomer. Experts at Compton Verney, the gallery that eventually saved the piece for the UK, clarify that these aren't real people. They are allegories. Basically, they are a walking, breathing (well, painted) warning sign about the "sin of pride."
The inscription above their heads is pretty blunt: “I black with white bespott y white with blacke this evil proceeds from thy proud hart then take her: Devill.” Not exactly subtle.
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The Patchwork of 17th-Century Vanity
Back in the mid-1600s, "beauty patches" were the ultimate "it girl" accessory. They were made of silk or velvet. Women used them to cover up pockmarks from smallpox or just to look trendy. There was even a whole "language" of patches—putting one near your eye meant you were feeling passionate. But the Puritan government under Oliver Cromwell hated them. They saw these patches as a literal mark of the devil.
In this painting, the artist—who remains unknown, by the way—is mocking the trend. The white woman has black patches, and the Black woman has white ones. It’s a mirror image meant to show that vanity is a universal "evil" that transcends skin color.
Why the "Spring Finley" Confusion Happens
If you’ve been searching for "Spring Finley" in relation to this painting, you’re likely hitting a bit of a digital dead end or a naming quirk. There isn't a historical painter from the 1600s named Spring Finley. However, the art world often sees these keywords collide because of contemporary artists like Finley (who founded the Every Woman Biennial) or researchers like Dr. Cheryl Finley, a massive authority on how the African diaspora is represented in art.
Then there's the 18th-century religious leader Samuel Finley, whose portraits (sometimes attributed to John Hesselius) pop up in academic searches. But if you’re looking for the "Portrait of Two Women" that went viral for its depiction of racial equality, you’re looking for the anonymous 1650s masterpiece now housed at Compton Verney.
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Breaking Down the Equality Argument
The wildest thing about this painting isn't the patches. It’s the composition.
In the 17th century, if a Black person was in a painting, they were usually smaller, lower in the frame, or looking up at a white subject. Not here. These two women are the same height. They wear the same pearls. They have the same confident, slightly judging expression.
A Nuanced Perspective
- The "Same Footing" Theory: Some historians argue this proves people in 1650s England could at least imagine a Black woman as a social equal to a white woman.
- The "Equal Sin" Theory: Others are a bit more cynical. They suggest the artist only made them equal to show that they are equally sinful. In this view, the Black woman isn't being elevated; the white woman is being "degraded" to a lower status by her vanity.
It’s a heavy debate. It’s also why the UK government actually stepped in to block the painting from being exported to an overseas buyer. They labeled it a work of "outstanding significance" for the study of race and gender.
Actionable Insights: How to View This Art Today
If you're interested in the history of "The Portrait of Two Women" and how it impacts modern art discussions, there are a few things you can actually do to dive deeper.
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1. Visit Compton Verney
The painting is officially part of their collection in Warwickshire. Seeing the scale in person—it’s about 64cm by 75cm—changes how you feel that "gaze" they’re giving you.
2. Look into the "Every Woman Biennial"
If you were looking for "Finley" the artist, check out the work of the contemporary artist Finley (formerly known as the Whitney Houston Biennial). Her work focuses on inclusivity and "salon-style" exhibitions that echo the "all-are-welcome" energy people mistakenly attribute to the 1650s portrait.
3. Study 17th-Century "Tracts"
To understand the patches, look up John Bulwer’s Anthropometamorphosis (1650). It’s full of woodcuts showing people with these weird face stickers. It gives you the "vibe" of the era that the painting was satirizing.
4. Follow the Yale Center for British Art
They’ve been involved in the conservation and study of this specific piece. Their research papers are the gold standard if you want the "why" behind the brushstrokes.
The Allegorical Painting of Two Ladies isn't just a pretty picture or a simple "portrait of two women." It’s a messy, complicated, and slightly judgmental look at what happens when fashion, race, and morality collide. Whether it was meant to be a progressive statement or a conservative warning, the fact that we’re still arguing about it in 2026 tells you everything you need to know about its power.
To understand the full scope of how Black sitters were portrayed in this era, research the "Black Presence" project at the National Portrait Gallery, which provides a broader context for how the unknown artist of this double portrait deviated from the norms of the mid-17th century.