Pablo Picasso was fond of painting the motifs he was working with in a series. Every day he would take the subject in hand and paint a new version of it. He also painted manifold variations of the two ladies reading at the table. Here, the day on which he painted this version has been recorded: 29.3.34.

This painting is one of the more austere versions of the women reading. Table, chair and doors have been portrayed as right-angled forms. The two female figures have been drawn with sharp edges. The frontal and profile views are interlocked with one another. The facial features of both have been executed almost identically and Picasso’s young love, Marie-Thérèse Walter, is apparent within them. They differ in colour however: the red and yellow dresses, blue and green coloured arms and faces. The colours are contrasted while the forms are the same.

Through the open door the bright white light penetrates the dark room. In the background Picasso worked with the dramatic alternation of black and white and surrounded the scene with a grey frame, which is also part of the composition.

The women have their eyes cast down, reading the same book. Their bodies are pressed close and their concentration unites them on an internal level. They appear to be unperturbed by everything happening around them. The act of reading creates an intimate companionship, of inner security amidst a threatening world.