A young girl

This early study of a young girl from around 1750 shows Greuze developing the expressive female type that would become his signature. Before his celebrated Salon debut in 1755, Greuze was already experimenting with the sentimental subjects and tender characterization that would distinguish his mature work. 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 relatively restrained palette and careful observation suggest Greuze's early manner, before the more idealized and dramatically lit compositions of his mature period.