A Girl with a Dead Canary

A Girl with a Dead Canary from 1765 is among Greuze's most psychologically complex works, depicting a young woman grieving over her dead pet. Diderot's famous Salon review interpreted the painting as an allegory of lost virginity, reading the dead bird as a symbol of sexual experience, though the image also functions as a straightforward study of youthful grief. Characteristic of Greuze's approach, the work displays emotionally expressive figures, theatrical lighting, combining Rococo charm with didactic purpose.

The girl's red-rimmed eyes and flushed cheeks are rendered with remarkable naturalism, the emotional impact heightened by the contrast between the vibrant figure and the small, lifeless bird.