‘Two Hearts’ (1978) captures the intimacy, introspection and self-revelation of Philip Guston’s late canvases. In the 1970s, Guston’s wife Musa battled serious illness twice, profoundly impacting the artist, whose own health was also beginning to fail. Mortality emerged as a dominant theme in his final works, as Guston depicted his wife in various forms.

As described by his daughter, who shares her mother’s name, in ‘Two Hearts,’ Guston’s feelings materialize as ‘two slightly limp hearts, one of them studded like a trash can lid, stacked on a box like tired, trapped intimates—a valentine of sorts.’ [1]

The black heart is wounded by an arrow, evoking Andrea Mantegna’s ‘St. Sebastian’ at the Ca’ d’Oro in Venice, tenderly cradled by a pierced red heart. Here, Guston reaffirms his deep love for his wife, whose unwavering support and astute eye contributed in no small part to his inspiration and success.

Guston used a restricted yet vibrant palette, enhanced by a cascade of bold brushstrokes that define his later works. Against a permanent green backdrop, traces of cadmium red medium emerge—a color known for its challenging and commanding presence. Applied wet on wet, the paint on the canvas appears freshly painted.