In 1875, Princess Isabel drew Pedro sleeping, her first newborn son.

• Drawing of Princess Isabel, by her son Pedro.
• One sheet glued on top of another.
• 24 cm x 16 cm.
• Annotation in French.
• Petropolis, October 1875.
• Tissue paper, fragile.
• Unique piece.

Baby, it's for Isabelle.
Petropolis, October 1875

Princess Isabel of Brazil, daughter of Dom Pedro II and Dona Teresa Cristina, had a great interest in drawing and painting. She began taking lessons as a child and continued to practice these activities throughout her adult life. She enjoyed drawing landscapes, flowers, art objects, people and animals. Some of Princess Isabel's drawings show scenes from her daily life, such as a view of the Imperial Palace of São Cristóvão or portraits of members of the royal family. In addition, there are drawings that show landscapes of places she visited, such as Petrópolis, the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro and the city of Paris.

Artistic production was a common activity among women of the Brazilian elite at the time, especially among those who had access to formal education. But Princess Isabel also supported the arts and culture in general, having been a patron of artists, writers and musicians from Brazil and Europe: this was an important aspect of her private life.

It is not known for sure where Princess Isabel's interest in art came from, but it is possible that she was influenced by her father, Emperor Dom Pedro II, who was a patron of the arts and encouraged the cultural development of Brazil.

The Imperial Museum in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, holds some of Princess Isabel's works in its collection, including drawings, watercolors, and oil paintings. The National Library of Rio de Janeiro also holds some of Princess Isabel's works, including drawings and paintings. However, examples of Princess Isabel's drawings are scarce, and much of her artwork has been held in private collections or government archives. Some of these works may even have been lost over time.

Pedro, depicted here sleeping, was only a few months old. He was the first child of Princess Isabel and Count d'Eu after the loss of Luisa, who died in childbirth, a huge trauma for the couple. We can feel, in this extremely delicate drawing, all the affection and happiness of the Princess for this "baby", after so much suffering. The two handwritten lines are also in her hand.