I was born the day after Bonfire Night and the magic of children’s faces lit up at night – whether by sparklers or lanterns – has always been special to me, reminding me of that time of year. Sargent insisted on painting the girls – Dolly and Polly, sisters in real life and daughters of the illustrator Frederick Barnard – at exactly the same time each evening, in order to get the light just right. His insistence on authenticity is such a great part of this painting’s special atmosphere.
