Diane Arbus's 1964 photograph presents the legendary silent film actresses Lillian and Dorothy Gish in a frontal, unflinching portrait that captures their dignified bearing in their later years. Working in her characteristic black and white medium with a direct, documentary approach, Arbus renders the sisters with the same penetrating psychological intensity she brought to all her subjects, eschewing flattery in favor of candid observation. The image exemplifies Arbus's distinctive vision of portraiture, which sought to reveal the humanity and complexity inherent in her subjects regardless of their fame or social status.