Portrait de Paul Stroganov

This 1777 portrait depicts Paul Stroganov, member of the powerful Russian aristocratic family whose extensive art collection would later become part of the Hermitage Museum. The commission reflects the broad European reach of Greuze's reputation, as Russian nobility frequently sought portraits from fashionable Parisian painters. 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 portrait combines French elegance with careful characterization, using a warm palette and refined brushwork to convey the sitter's youth and social standing.