Jean-Baptiste Greuze
- Born:
- August 21, 1725, Tournus, France
- Died:
- March 4, 1805, Paris, France
- Nationality:
- French
- Profession(s):
- Painter
Early Life and Education
- Early artistic talent recognized by his father, a roofer.
- Moved to Lyon to study painting under Charles Grandon.
- Traveled to Paris and joined the Académie Royale.
Career and Major Achievements
- Gained popularity for his genre scenes and portraits.
- Elected an associate member of the Académie Royale in 1755.
- His reception piece, "The Father Reading the Bible to His Children," was criticized for its lack of historical subject matter, preventing his full membership.
- Achieved considerable commercial success during his lifetime.
- Experienced a decline in popularity towards the end of his career due to changing artistic tastes.
Notable Works
- "The Village Bride" (1761)
- "The Father Reading the Bible to His Children" (1755)
- "The Punished Son" (1778)
- "Septimius Severus and Caracalla" (1769)
- Numerous portraits and studies of young girls.
Legacy and Impact
Jean-Baptiste Greuze was a significant figure in 18th-century French art, known for his sentimental genre scenes and moralizing narratives. The dramatic gestures and expressions in the world of Jean-Baptiste Greuze paintings captured the emotions of the era. Though his ambition to become a history painter was never fully realized, his influence on subsequent generations of artists, particularly those interested in narrative painting, is undeniable.