a dog tugs, a canary stays put

thanks wikimedia commons {PD-old}

1647: Wybrand de Geest paints this Portrait of a Child with a Dog and a Canary (Aged 4).  Luminous and solemn, the child - I believe by the clothing that this is a boy - stands calmly, pet bird in one hand, handkerchief in another.  It's at the other end of the hanky that we find all the action.  A shaggy small dog with a fine collar has a corner of that hanky and a sharp eye on that bird, and in his figure we find the comedy, the energy, the risk we normally associate with 4-year-olds.  I really find this a charming piece.