The sitter, Elizabeth de la Vallée de la Roche, is surrounded by items that show her dedication to her home and to her husband. She holds a knotting shuttle in her right hand; her knotting bag bears two coats of arms under a coronet, and she wears a miniature portrait of her husband set on a black ribbon. The canary behind is a domestic bird and symbolises home.

It is also a status symbol for this wealthy woman, as it would have been an expensive pet to buy.

Object description
Type: Easel painting
Location: Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham
Material: Oil on canvas
Artist: Michel-Pierre Hubert Descours (1741-1814)
Date: 1771

Image Details
Date: 12 May 2024
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Wide Camera 26mm ƒ/1.8
Focal Length: 26mm
Aperture: ƒ/1.8
Shutter Speed: 1/33s
ISO: 400
Licensing: Image of a Bowes Museum asset. This image cannot be licensed.