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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.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Portrait of a Girl with a Parrot

Date

about 1640

Medium

Oil on canvas

Measurements

H 112 x W 79 cm

Accession number

NG6498

Acquisition method

Bequeathed by Lady Colman, 1985

Work type

Painting

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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Artist or maker

Netherlandish School

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