In the Rose Garden

With her golden ringlets and hazel eyes, this child set against a garden landscape is cherubic. She wears her Sunday best dress trimmed with brown ribbon, her matching straw bonnet lying at her feet. Seated on a bench, she stretches her hand towards a white butterfly.

Watercolour on paper with canted corners, signed in gold long the bottom edge ‘F. Rochard 1840’ and mounted on card that has browned with age.

Born in France, François Théodore Rochard (1798-1858) was the younger of two artistic brothers. He studied in France before moving to London where he exhibited 1820-1855. He attracted a fashionable clientele including royalty. In addition to watercolours, both brothers also painted miniatures.