Portrait of a young boy, three-quarter-length, in a blue suit and white hat with blue ribbon, a finch perched on his right shoulder, in an interior

The present portrait is a rare example of Hone's work in pastel. Hone studied under Robert West at the Dublin Society Schools, and would have been familiar with the technique of drawing in chalks. He was famed for his charming depictions of children and his ability to capture character. The oil painting, A Piping Boy, 1769, (National Gallery of Ireland) depicts one of his own sons John Camillus and is an early example, as is the present work, of a 'fancy' picture. It is possible that the present pastel depicts one of Hone's own children in a domestic setting, the young boy offering a crumb of bread to his pet bird. Another example of Hone's work in pastel is in the National Gallery of Ireland (no. 6996), dated 1747.