I'd just re-read Middlemarch (which, incidentally has a watercolour vignette by Birket Foster as its frontispiece) when I first set eyes on this charming little watercolour of a young girl, who could have walked straight from its pages. The young girl's poise and the subtle refinement of her dress suggest that this is a portrait of a person known to the artist and at least a social equal, rather than one of those winsome, generic portraits of flower sellers and urchins various that were so popular in the mid-19 th century.

The artist, Claire Vicole, is known to me only by an inscription on the reverse, which, helpfully, gives her dates: 1820-75 and the fact that she died in Paris. It is an accomplished little picture, with subtle colouration and a delightful sketchy background that is very confidently done. It is inscribed with an elaborate C.V monogram that positively brims with self-belief.