Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art has dated this piece to the 1800s.
An extremely attractive naive Georgian portrait of a young girl in the countryside.
Her hat, to protect her fair complexion and avoid any unsightly browning of the skin, lies abandoned on the ground. She wears the red shoes so fashionable at this time.
The child has a pet robin on a string perched on her hand whilst another, on a twig, looks across.
Birds, at this time, were common pets and playthings but, depicted in a portrait, they also had other meanings.
A free bird, which could easily fly away, was used as a symbol of the transience of life but a tethered one represented the desire for longer life for the child. Even children from rich families had a high mortality rate.
The identity of the provincial artist is unknown although he was clearly influenced by the fashionable artists of the day. Naive the portrait may be, but it has great charm and a direct quality sometimes lacking in more sophisticated works.
SIZE: 43 x 31 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: English Private Collection.
Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art has dated this piece to the 1800s.
Roy and nadine precious: specialists in portraiture from the 16th to the 20th century. Established in 1972.
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art Profile Page
Sold....portrait of a Young Girl C.1775 - 1790; English School.
