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Netherlandish, 'Portrait of a Girl with a Parrot', about 1640

About the work

The unknown little girl in this portrait looks out at us, shy and uncertain. Her auburn curls hang loose, framing her pink cheeks. She is in her finest clothes, the bodice stiff and restrictive, the silk apron sparkling white. Her overskirt is looped up to show that as much attention has been paid to the decoration of her petticoat as to the wide lace collar and cuffs. This is the daughter of a wealthy, possibly aristocratic, family and the cross at her neck may imply that they are Catholic. Although we don‘t know who painted the picture, the child’s clothing suggests a date of about 1640.

A parrot was sometimes seen as a sign of eagerness to learn, as they can be taught to speak words and phrases. In an illustration in a contemporary book of advice on marriage, a woman representing ’eagerness to learn' is shown with an embroidery frame in one hand and a parrot on the other.

Key facts

Full title
Portrait of a Girl with a Parrot
Artist
Netherlandish
Date made
about 1640
Medium and support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
112 × 79 cm
Acquisition credit
Bequeathed by Lady Colman, 1985
Inventory number
NG6498
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Frame
18th-century English Frame

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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