Family Portrait (1756). François-Hubert Drouais (French, 1727-1775). Oil on canvas. National Gallery
Family Portrait (1756). François-Hubert Drouais (French, 1727-1775). Oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art, Washington.On the floor a box opened to reveal lace, pearls, and gaily striped silk, is painted on its lid with the legend “this first of April 1756.” Probably the gifts, the girl’s flowers, and the paper held by the man—a poem perhaps— are all poissons d'avril (“fish of april”), tokens named after the zodiac Pisces that were exchanged by family and intimate friends on April 1 to mark the beginning of spring. -- source link
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