Two young women sit closely together on a plush seat, both dressed in vibrant orange garments accented with dark sashes. Their heads incline towards each other, with the figure on the left resting her head gently against the other's temple. The woman on the left, with fair skin and blond hair swept up in a chignon, wears a single gold earring and gazes down at the open book before them.

Her companion, whose hair is a deeper titian shade and similarly styled, sits just to the right, turning the pages with both hands and focusing intently on the text. The right figure’s arm is draped behind her companion’s shoulders, her face softly illuminated by the light that falls across their hair and cheeks. Both faces are rendered with delicate, rosy complexions, and their expressions are calm, absorbed in the shared act of reading.

The background features a vertical band of warm brown on the left and a broad expanse of cool blue on the right, setting off the vivid hues of their clothing. Renoir’s brushwork is smooth and fluid, blending colors seamlessly to create the softness of their skin and the texture of their hair. The folds of their dresses are modelled with loose, visible strokes, capturing the play of light and shadow across the fabric.

The composition is tightly focused on the upper bodies of the two figures, with their forms filling nearly the entire canvas. Small details, such as the subtle highlights on the book’s pages and the glimmer of the earring, reveal Renoir’s attention to intimate, everyday moments.