Jean-Baptiste Greuze
Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725–1805) was a French painter known for portraits, scenes of everyday life, and a few history paintings. He was born in Tournus, Burgundy, and showed talent early. An Lyonese painter named Grandon encouraged him, and Greuze joined him first in Lyon and then in Paris to study.
In Paris, Greuze trained at the Royal Academy. His first major work, Le Père de famille expliquant la Bible à ses enfants, drew doubt about his talent, but he soon won attention with better genre paintings. In 1755 he painted Aveugle trompé and was admitted to the Academy.
He traveled to Italy with Abbe Gougenot, but the trip did not help his career, and he quickly returned to his favorite subjects. He gained success in the Salons of 1759, 1761, and 1763, reaching a peak in 1765 with several famous paintings such as La Jeune Fille qui pleure son oiseau mort and La Malediction paternelle (in the Louvre).
The Academy urged him to produce a diploma piece, and his attempt to prove himself as a historical painter backfired. His painting Sévère et Caracalla drew criticism, and Greuze clashed with the Academy, stopping his exhibitions for years.
When the French Revolution opened the Academy to everyone, he exhibited Ariadne in 1804. He died in Paris in 1805, poor due to mismanagement and extravagance; his wife allegedly embezzled money, and he had to take on commissions he could no longer finish well.
Greuze is remembered mainly for his clear drawing, bright colors, and lifelike, honest depictions of everyday people. He taught his daughter Anna-Geneviève Greuze and had pupils such as Madame Le Doux.
His work and ideas echoed beyond painting and appeared in literature and music. Major exhibitions of his work were held in 1976–77 and in 2002.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:31 (CET).