Girl holding a Canary, time of Louis XV

A girl holds a canary in this portrait from around 1751 at the Bowes Museum, combining the charm of a child portrait with the decorative interest of a bird. Canaries were fashionable pets in the eighteenth century, and their inclusion in portraits added color and narrative interest. The "time of Louis XV" designation in the title places the painting within the period when Drouais was establishing his reputation. 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 canary provides a bright splash of yellow that enlivens the composition, its small form contrasting with the child"s larger figure. Drouais renders the bird with the same precision he brings to all decorative details, its feathers and posture carefully observed. The child"s face shows the gentle, sympathetic handling of Drouais"s best child portraits. The palette is warm, with the canary"s yellow providing the brightest accent.