The Morning Prayer

Another version of Greuze's popular Morning Prayer subject, this 1780 painting demonstrates how the artist frequently revisited successful compositions to meet collector demand. The theme of youthful piety allowed Greuze to combine moral sentiment with the appealing depiction of young female beauty that was his commercial strength. Characteristic of the artist's mature approach, the work displays theatrically posed figures, expressive faces registering emotion with unsubtle directness, a palette ranging from Rococo pastels in early works to colder, more sober tones after the Revolution.

The devotional pose is modeled with delicate tonal transitions in the flesh, while the loose handling of the garment and hair adds naturalistic texture to the idealized composition.