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Portrait of a young girl

Maker

Attributed to
Wybrand Simonsz. de Geest the elder (artist)
1592-1661

Title

Date of Production

1600 - 1625

Medium

red chalk with stumping on laid paper, with red chalk framing lines partly trimmed away, the right edge cut into an 'L' shape, laid down

Dimensions

Height: 35.5 cm
Width: 25.4 cm

Accession Number

D.1932.XX.13

Mode of Acquisition

Katharine Talbot Wallas, gift, 5 November 1932

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords

Label Text

Traditional representations of childhood in print series of the ages of man usually showed children running around or playing games. By contrast, the girl in this drawing has an introspective, troubled air. What appears to be a bird in her right hand may be a sparrow, used, in a tradition deriving from Catullus, as an emblem of virginity. Alternatively, it may be a goldfinch, used in images of the Christ child to prefigure his suffering and crucifixion (chaffinches eat prickly weeds, associated with the crown of thorns). The former is more likely, but in either case the bird points to the child's almsot inevitable future loss of innocence.

Provenance

Michael Bryan (1757-1821); by descent to his great-grandson, Graham Wallas (1858-1932); by descent to his sister, Katharine Talbot Wallas (1864-1944); presented to The Courtauld Institute of Art in remembrance of Graham Wallas by his sisters, 5 November 1932

Exhibition History

About Time, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 24/02/2000-30/05/2000

Exhibition of Dutch Art 1450-1900, Royal Academy, London, 1929

Literature

Exhibition of Dutch Art 1450-1900, Royal Academy, London, 1929
no. 541

Mellaert, J.H.J., Vasari Society, 2nd series, 1928; ix
ill. repr.

Inscriptions

Watermark: upper centre: six-pointed star above a crown? unclear; 2.7 cm between chain lines.

Inscription: none.

Collector's mark: none.

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