Springtime, with its associations of joyful new life, was a source of constant inspiration for Denis. This double-sided canvas presents 2 studies for his 1899 painting Virginal Spring, in which young women engage in a purification ritual evocative of Christian baptism and communion. The verdant setting is the Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, whose tree-lined glades and dainty wildflowers captivated Denis. He later reprised this ... http://metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/490750