Head of a Young Girl in a Bonnet

This Head of a Young Girl in a Bonnet from around 1760 belongs to the Hermitage Museum's collection of Greuze's work, reflecting the particularly strong Russian taste for his paintings. Catherine the Great and her courtiers were avid collectors of French art, and Greuze's sentimental subjects were especially prized in St. Petersburg. 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 bonnet frames the girl's face attractively while providing an opportunity for textural contrast between the fabric and the smoothly modeled skin beneath.