Portrait of Count Pavel Stroganov as A Child

This 1778 portrait of the young Count Pavel Stroganov demonstrates Greuze's skill in child portraiture and the continuing patronage of Russian aristocrats. Pavel Stroganov would later become a prominent statesman under Alexander I, but here he is captured in the innocence of childhood by Greuze's sympathetic brush. 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 child's natural, unposed expression is rendered with warmth and sensitivity, the soft modeling of the young features complemented by carefully observed details of costume and hair.