The image of groups of seated women is a recurring motif in Moore’s oeuvre, both in drawing and sculpture. The women are often seen as a pair, sometimes interacting or with a child, and in the early 1980s Moore developed this further with one of the women depicted reading.

In ‘Two Seated Women in an Interior’, 1983 the women inhabit the same space, but are in their own separate worlds. There is little to situate them in a place, other than the window in the corner to indicate they are inside, allowing for one to have their own interpretation. The form of their bodies carries a monumentality in the strength of their limbs, rounded contours and filling of the page.

Moore mixes charcoal with pen, pencil and chalk in the drawing. This variety of media created depth and texture on the page, with the sharp lines of the pen contrasting to the soft blurring of the charcoal. Dashes of orange and white act as highlights, bringing the scene to life.