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During the mid-1770s, when the present work was painted, Smart had fully established himself as a key figure amongst the circle of portrait painters working in London. Although dealing with the deflating issue of the failing Incorporated Society of Artists, of which Smart was a prominent member, this period seems to have been highly productive for Smart and some of his most enigmatic works were painted at this phase of his career.

The present work is a revealing testament to Smart’s capabilities when presented with a young and engaging sitter. Although her identity is at present unknown, the young lady would have been not much older than Smart’s daughter Anna Maria when she sat for this portrait. Her youthful glow is echoed in her rosy cheeks and her expression, glancing sideways as if caught mid-motion, evokes confident determination.

Intriguingly, this composition bears a striking resemblance to a portrait by Smart of Miss Isobel Page (also painted in 1776), which was, until recently, in the collection of the late Valerie Eliot. Although facing opposite directions, the colouring, style of dress and basic hair design with a single falling ringlet onto the shoulder is the same, which reaffirms the suggestion that Smart developed and reused a number of preferred poses.