Reminiscent of Rembrandt in its palette and handling, and of Terborch and Metsu in its subject, 'A Young Scholar' belongs to a group of half-length female figures with books painted by Fragonard in the 1760s and 1770s. The figure is comparable to similar works depicting more or less studious children by Greuze, Lépicié (qq.v.) and Chardin. Fragonard, however, invests his subject with none of the moral overtones common in the depiction of children at the period, but rather concentrates on capturing an illusion of childlike spontaneity using vigorous brushstrokes. In its freedom of execution, the picture may be compared to his earlier figures of fantasy, such as the 'Portrait of a Singer' (c.1769; Paris, Louvre). Dateable to the mid-1770s, 'A Young Scholar' appeared in sales in 1789 and 1872 with a similar pendant now in a private collection.