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The Petit Palais pays tribute to Jean-Baptiste Greuze (17251805)
on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of his birth.
Born in Tournus in Seine-et-Loire, his father intended him to pursue a
career in business, but from a very young age, he was drawn to drawing.
Supported by the Lyon painter Charles Grandon, whose student he
was, he followed him to Paris, where he settled in 1750. He studied
under Charles-Joseph Natoire at the Royal Academy of Painting and
Sculpture, but soon fell out with him.
At the 1755 Salon, he achieved a resounding success with his «Father
Reading the Bible to His Children.» Having become a member of the
Academy, he left for Rome to study for two years.
Upon his arrival, he painted «Broken Eggs.» Greuze is one of the most
important and daring figures of his time. A painter of the soul, famous
for his portraits and genre scenes, he introduced a Dutch-influenced
realism into the light painting of the 18th century through his facial
expressions and dramatic gestures.
He marvelously captured settings and costumes, speaking to the hearts
of his audience, whom he sought to make virtuous.
Jean-Baptiste Greuze,
Portrait of Charles-Etienne de Bourgevin
de Vialart, Count of Saint-Morys, as a child, circa 1782-1784.
Oil on wood, 65 × 54 cm.
Nantes Museum of Arts, Nantes, France.
© GrandPalaisRmn (Nantes Museum of Arts) / Photo Gérard Blot.