The yellow pigment has faded over time, leaving a white canary and blue foliage, but the subject of this painting – a young girl’s sadness at her first confrontation with death – is as clear to us as it was to viewers nearly 300 years ago. Greuze specialised in scenes that stimulated the people’s emotions when they looked at art. The loss of a pet is something that stays with people for a long time and looking at this picture in the gallery today will surely bring back memories for many.