Student Artwork Guide — Sally and Sara

4 parts 1 The artwork2 In context3 Artist and museum4 Look closely

Name Class Date

Milton Avery, Sally and Sara (1947). Reproduced for reference; rights reserved by the rights holder.

The facts

Artist: Milton Avery artsdot.com/en/artists/milton-avery/
Artist’s dates: 1885 – 1965
Painted: 1947
Original size: 84 x 102 cm

Copyright This work is still under copyright. Milton Avery died in 1965; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it remains in force until 2035. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

Sally and Sara — Milton Avery

How big is it?

The original measures 84 × 102 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When was this painted?

1880
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Shaded: the lifetime of Milton Avery (1885–1965) ▲ this work, 1947

Compare with

Child with Doll, 1944 artsdot.com/en/art/milton-avery-child-with-doll-D662DC-en/
Night Harbor, 1957 artsdot.com/en/art/milton-avery-night-harbor-D432Y9-en/
Flight artsdot.com/en/art/milton-avery-flight-8LT2JA-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: artsdot.com/en/art/similar/milton-avery-sally-and-sara-AS7MCZ-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Steel Blue #5678a5

Catalogued palette

#5678A5
#D68F36
#454A45
#F6C1D7

Palette: Dark The dominant colour family in the image.
Main colour name: Steel Blue
Intensity: Vivid How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Bold How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Discordant Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Balanced How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Clear Color Presence How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Sally and Sara — Milton Avery

Artist

Milton Avery

Born in Altmar, United States of America

A Quiet Revolution in Color: The Life and Art of Milton Avery

Milton Clark Avery, born March 7, 1885, in the small hamlet of Altmar, New York, wasn’t a painter who stormed the art world with manifestos or radical pronouncements. Instead, his revolution unfolded quietly, through a subtle yet profound exploration of color and form that would deeply influence generations of American artists. His early life was steeped in practicality; as the son of a tanner, Avery began working at sixteen to support his family after his father’s untimely death, taking on various blue-collar jobs while nurturing a burgeoning passion for art. This period instilled in him a grounded sensibility, a connection to everyday life that would permeate his work. He pursued formal training at the Connecticut League of Art Students and later at the Art Students League of New York, but it was through self-directed study and an innate sensitivity to visual experience that Avery truly forged his artistic path. For years, he balanced painting with the demands of providing for a large family, working night jobs to allow daylight hours for creative exploration—a testament to his unwavering dedication.

Finding His Voice: Influences and Artistic Development

Avery’s artistic journey wasn't one of immediate recognition. He worked in relative obscurity for decades, refining his vision through persistent experimentation.

Where to read more

The artist Milton Avery artsdot.com/en/artists/milton-avery/
Similar works More works to compare artsdot.com/en/art/similar/milton-avery-sally-and-sara-AS7MCZ-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for Sally and Sara

artsdot.com/en/art/download/milton-avery-sally-and-sara-AS7MCZ-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Avery, Milton. Sally and Sara. 1947, https://artsdot.com/en/art/milton-avery-sally-and-sara-AS7MCZ-en/
APA: Avery, Milton (1947). Sally and Sara [Painting]. https://artsdot.com/en/art/milton-avery-sally-and-sara-AS7MCZ-en/
Chicago: Milton Avery. Sally and Sara. 1947. https://artsdot.com/en/art/milton-avery-sally-and-sara-AS7MCZ-en/
Harvard: Avery, Milton (1947) Sally and Sara. Available at: https://artsdot.com/en/art/milton-avery-sally-and-sara-AS7MCZ-en/

Sally and Sara — Milton Avery

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
Look back at Child with Doll (1944), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
Milton Avery was about 62 when this was made. What in it looks like the work of an artist at that stage?
What might the artist have wanted you to feel?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.