A Georgian Cutie

Until the 1780s boys and girls commonly both wore indoor caps. They also both wore dresses styled with a low neckline and a deep ribbon sash. This makes it impossible to determine whether this charming portrait depicts a boy or a girl. One clue may though lie in the colour of the sash and cap decoration as blue was considered a delicate colour and, being linked to the Virgin Mary, was deemed more suitable for girls to wear whereas pink was viewed as a strong and therefore more masculine colour. This distinction was not reversed until Victorian times.

This pastel on paper portrait is housed in a period ebonised frame with an inner gilt edge.