A watercolour showing a female figure with a bird. The woman is shown three-quarter-length, standing and facing forward. She is wearing seventeenth-century dress and is carrying a stick. The bird, probably a falcon, is shown hooded and perched on the woman's hand. Inscribed lower right: 1860

Madame de Coninck, formally Madame Maria de Hocédé, was the French Governess to Queen Victoria's children from 20 January 1859. Coninck was a favourite of Princess Alice and Princess Louise, who each presented her with an album of drawings (RCIN 981663 & RCIN 981664) before she left to remarry in July 1863. For other items in this volume see RCIN 981663.