The Sisters (Emily and Anne Gibson, with her son, Julius), 1988, from the series Resemblance II, draws on portrait and still-life conventions of Dutch seventeenth century painting,’ writes photographer Anne Zahalka. ‘This contemporary genre scene, staged within an Australian context, suggests how culturally ingrained European traditions are in our visual memory. The portrait was taken in the Sydney home of my friend’s creative workspace. The drape, a traditional aesthetic device borrowed from Dutch painting, invites the viewer into the space. The tropical fruit still-life hints at their southern location. While the little boy looks attentively on, the (twin) sisters appear lost in their own internal dialogues.