Portrait of a Woman c. 1786

Jean-Baptiste Greuze created this "Portrait of a Woman" using oil on canvas. The composition is immediately striking with its delicate balance of light and shadow, drawing our eyes to the woman's face. Note how the soft pastels and the textured brushwork create an inviting surface. Greuze masterfully manipulates the formal elements to convey a sense of introspective musing. The woman’s gentle gaze and relaxed posture, combined with the tactile rendering of her dress, suggest a complex interplay between the sitter’s inner life and her outward presentation. This aligns with the Enlightenment's focus on emotion and individual psychology. Consider the hat adorned with feathers. It functions not merely as adornment but as a signifier of social status and perhaps personal affectation. The semiotic interplay here allows for multiple readings about the sitter's identity. Greuze's formal choices open up a space for questioning the constructed nature of identity itself.