Portrait of a young woman

This early portrait of a young woman from around 1750 predates Greuze's breakthrough at the 1755 Salon and shows the young artist developing his portraiture skills. Born in Tournus in Burgundy, Greuze trained in Lyon before coming to Paris where he studied at the Académie royale under Charles-Joseph Natoire. 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 straightforward composition and careful observation of the sitter's features reveal Greuze's solid academic training, with a relatively restrained palette compared to his later, more sensuous works.