Head of a Young Woman c. 1780s

Jean-Baptiste Greuze painted this head of a young woman in France, although the exact date is unknown. Greuze was one of the most popular painters of the 18th century, celebrated for his sentimental genre scenes. These works often focused on domestic virtue and morality. Here, however, he presents a more ambiguous image, the woman’s gaze and expression leaving her thoughts uncertain. Her fashionable, yet simple, clothing suggests that she is a member of the bourgeoisie. Greuze’s paintings were popular with the middle classes because they promoted the idea of a meritocracy, and the idea that anyone, regardless of birth, could achieve success through hard work and virtue. The image would have appealed to progressive social values. By studying the work of historians and cultural commentators, we can better understand the social forces that shaped Greuze’s art, and how he in turn helped to shape the tastes and values of his time.