A Young Boy Holding a Portfolio

A young boy holding a portfolio—possibly containing drawings or prints—appears in this 1761 portrait that connects childhood to artistic or intellectual pursuits. The portfolio may indicate that the child is being educated in drawing, a standard accomplishment for children of the upper classes. Drouais"s child portraits frequently include props that indicate the child"s activities and future expectations. Drouais was among the most successful portraitists of pre-Revolutionary France, working in the tradition of his father Hubert Drouais and studying under Carle van Loo, Natoire, and Boucher before establishing himself at court.

The portfolio provides a compositional element that adds visual interest and suggests the child"s education. Drouais renders the leather or paper of the portfolio with his characteristic precision, while the child"s face shows the bright, engaged expression of his best child portraits. The palette balances the warmer tones of the child"s features with the cooler, darker tones of the portfolio and background.