Maingaud was a French artist who worked in Germany for the Elector of Bavaria, which is presumably how he came to the attention of the Hanoverians. His work resembles that of Philippe Mercier (1689-1760).

This is one of a group of three portraits of the children of George II (OM 514-6, 404984-6), which are certainly by Maingaud (two are signed) and must have been painted in England. They seem loosely to belong together: they are all first recorded in the Queen’s Apartments at Kensington Palace in 1818, though not side by side and are of different sizes and dates (two are dated - 1718 and 1721 - the third is of c. 1720). All three have a fanciful pastoral character, with in two cases the suggestion of an allegorical meaning. The sitters cannot always be identified but they seem all to depict groupings of the four eldest children – Frederick (1707-51), Anne (1709-59), Amelia (1711-86) and Caroline (1713-57). The next surviving child, William, was not born until 1721.

These three girls are identified in the 1818 Inventory as Anne, Amelia and Caroline. Princess Caroline, in the centre, puts her arm round Princess Amelia on the left and looks up to her. Princess Anne holds to her bosom a rose plucked from a spray over Princess Amelia's shoulder. This interlinking of affectionate gestures suggests the subject of the 'Three Graces'.

Signature concealed by re-lining originally read 'Maingaud. 1721'