What is also an interesting bit of information written about them which you can read in it's entirety here tells us that Florence (14) and Jane(12) (the two eldest daughters in the background never married and eventually became mentally or emotionally disturbed as they grew up. Mary Louisa (8) and Julia (4) also never married. They grew to become very close as sisters; Julia later becoming an accomplished painter in watercolor .
It is suggested that because of Sargent's unique and gifted view of life; he would have possibly seen something different about Florence and Jane; choosing to paint them in the distance; obscured and shaded as if they were not really part of the family and yet hinting that they are by the dresses he chose for them all to wear (if he did choose them- he usually did choose the dress of his subjects).
Whatever the case is, the painting is a fascinating object to ponder over. I was curious about the parents- why did they raise four daughters who never married- two becoming mentally unstable?
Below the video, I am posting a portrait of Mrs. Boit (the girls mother) also painted by Sargent.
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