Lord Armstrong had a taste for sentimental pictures of young children. The young girl in this painting is posing as a poor street urchin and wears a forlorn expression, a dirty blouse and ragged skirt. Her shiny hair, clean face and flushed cheeks are clear indicators, however, that it is all a game. Only an Orange Girl is comparable with the pictures of young children that were painted by Sir John Everett Millais during this period and in fact, despite evidence to the contrary, it was once thought to be by Millais himself.

Oil painting on canvas, Only an Orange Girl by Edward Patry RBA (London 1856 – 1940), monogrammed and dated, bottom left: E P 1885. A three-quarter-length picture of a young girl wearing a straw hat with a peacock’s feather, a torn white blouse and blue skirt, carrying a basket of oranges.

Provenance: Armstrong collection. Transferred by the Treasury to The National Trust in 1977 via the National Land Fund, aided by 3rd Baron Armstrong of Bamburgh and Cragside (1919 – 1987).

Marks and inscriptions: Bottom left: E P [in a monogram] 1885

Text from the National Trust website

Object description
Type: Easel painting
Location: Cragside, Rothbury, Northumberland
Material: Oil on canvas
Artist: Edward Patry RBA (1856 – 1940)
Date: 1885

Image Details
Date: 21 April 2026
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Telephoto Camera 52mm ƒ/2.4
Focal Length: 52mm
Aperture: ƒ/2.4
Shutter Speed: 1/33s
ISO: 500
Licensing: Image of a National Trust asset. This image cannot be licensed.