Girl with a Parrot

The young girl in Ramsay’s portrait wears a white satin gown with a brilliantly reflective surface that glows against the dark background. Her gaze and gesture draw our eyes to her companion, a Cuban Amazon parrot from the Caribbean. Living animals like parrots were imported from European colonies in the Americas starting in the 17th century. By Ramsay’s time, London hosted numerous bird and animal dealers. The pairing of the domesticated parrot and the cultivated roses in this young girl’s portrait refers to qualities of nurturing and patience, as she has tamed the wild animal and flowers. These virtues were expected of young women in the period.