The Work

In this painting, a young woman is tracing the shape of a flower against the glass of a tall window. One of the accepted activities of a young woman of the upper middle class was to draw flowers, in addition to reading, embroidery, and playing a musical instrument. The girl has turned her head to look at her pet, which is a squirrel. The animal has perhaps cracked a nut, and the noise has distracted the girl.

French embassy