Attributed to Antoine Pesne, ca. 1720.

Attributed to ANTOINE PESNE (Paris, 1683-1757)
French school, ca. 1720.
"Portrait de jeune fille au perroquet".
Oil on canvas.
Relined.
Measurements: 85 x 70 cm; 104 x 88 cm (frame).

This work encapsulates the essence of rococo for his ability to capture an almost dreamlike atmosphere starring a girl of carnal and ethereal appearance at the same time, which is characteristic of French court painting of the time. The painting is attributed to the French court painter Antoine Pene, by whom sumptuous female portraits comparable to the one shown here (such as "Young Girl with Dove" of 1754) have survived. The painting shows an adolescent girl with golden hair with auburn highlights, gathered in such a way as to emphasize the elongated oval of her smiling face and clear forehead. The misty light that emerges from the background models her figure, leaving parts of it in semi-darkness, which accentuates the dreamlike character of the scene. In her left hand she holds a small parrot and with her right hand she raises her index finger as if she were teaching it a lesson. Above the velvet dress, the loose sleeves of a white chiffon blouse peek out.

Antoine Pesne was a French Rococo painter born in Paris. A court painter, he had a brilliant career in the Holy Roman Empire, but especially in Prussia. He studied in Paris and in Italy, particularly with Andrea Celesti in Venice. He became court painter to Frederick I and later to Frederick II the Great. Philippe Mercier was his pupil. He executed numerous frescoes on mythological and allegorical subjects in the palaces of Berlin, Charlottenburg, Potsdam, Rheinsberg and in the Sanssouci Palace. He is also known for his portraits of French and Italian actresses and dancers of the Berlin opera, such as La Barberina. He died in Berlin in 1757.