Artist: Vanessa Bell
Date: 1916
Conversation 1913–16, Bell again depicts an interior with three people, but in this instance the triumvirate is an all-female one. Unlike many Camden Town paintings where women appear in solitary activities such as reading, playing the piano, or simply sitting in reverie, Bell’s sitters are here rendered in intense and active conference. This is most explicitly represented by the expressive pose of the figure on the left, reminiscent of a more engaged version of Rodin’s The Thinker, but the women’s solid, monumental forms and closely focused attention, along with the quizzical tilt of the head on the right, all underscore the dynamic import of the discussion. Bell worked on the painting across a time span of four years. An interesting biographical fact during the picture’s evolution is that the artist altered the appearance of the background, toning down the decorative detail on the curtains to create a less feminine, more neutral backdrop. Nevertheless, it is still the private home which is seen to be the crucible for powerful and meaningful discourse.
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