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| Head of Young Woman |
Jean Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805) was a French painter, born in Tournus. At a very early age, though against his father's wishes, he went to study with a local artist who had shown marked interest in his work. After a short period of training in Paris, he began to attract notice, and in the next few years was readily accepted by the Academy as a painter of merit. In 1755 he went to Italy to further his studies and to find new inspiration, but on his return to France found that the work done during this period was not well received. By 1765 he had reached the peak of his fame and exhibited large numbers of paintings in Salon and Academy shows. Due to a misunderstanding with the directors of the Academy, he stopped exhibiting there until 1804, shortly before he died in poverty. Today he is best known for his portraits of young women and children, which are treated in a highly idealized and sentimental style.
