Greuze

Born in a modest house near Mâcon in 1725, Greuze grew up in a family that could not afford the luxuries of an artist’s life. From the age of eight he was drawn to the pencil, sketching on any surface he could find, even while his father pushed him toward a career in architecture. After a chance discovery of a delicate engraving of St. James, his father finally recognized the boy’s talent and allowed him to study under the portraitist Grandon in Lyon.

In Grandon’s bustling studio, Greuze quickly grew restless, yearning for a more meaningful role for art than the mechanical output of a “picture factory.” Determined, he set his sights on Paris, where he survived on modest commissions and the occasional support of established sculptor Pigalle. His perseverance paid off when a sympathetic portrait of the influential artist Silvestre led to his acceptance into the Academy after the striking work “L’Aveugle Trompé.