Artwork
Head of a Young Boy
Head of a Young Boy is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jean-Baptiste Greuze. It dates from 1763 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays a youthful male sitter, emphasizing the subject’s age and innocence within the tradition of French portraiture.
Head of a Young Boy" is a 1763 oil‑on‑canvas portrait by Jean‑Baptiste Greuze. The work portrays a youthful male sitter, emphasizing the subject’s age and innocence within the tradition of French portraiture. Executed in the portrait genre, the painting measures 47.9 × 39.1 cm and was created on canvas.
It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been owned by Michael Friedsam since its acquisition. The piece is catalogued as a painting, reflecting Greuze’s focus on character studies of young sitters.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1763, this portrait by Jean-Baptiste Greuze is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures approximately 47.9 by 39.1 centimeters. As a piece within the portrait genre, it depicts the head of a young boy.
The application of oil paint on a woven canvas support represents the standard materials and medium for French academic portraiture of the mid-eighteenth century. While specific details regarding the artist's brushwork, surface condition, or conservation history are not provided in the available records, the physical dimensions and material composition establish the formal basis of the object.
History & Provenance
Head of a Young Boy is an oil painting on canvas attributed to Jean‑Baptiste Greuze, executed in 1763 as recorded in contemporary documentation. The work measures 47.9 × 39.1 cm and belongs to the portrait genre. It entered the collection of Michael Friedsam, who bequeathed it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view.
The painting’s creation is dated to the year 1763, confirmed by catalogue entries that list its inception and material composition. No surviving records indicate a specific commission, but the stylistic analysis and dated inscription support its attribution and dating.
Head of a Young Boy (1763) by Jean‑Baptiste Greuze is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The painting is part of the museum’s collection and was previously owned by Michael Friedsam; its accession number is not specified in the available records. Exhibition history is not documented in the sources consulted.
The work is catalogued as a portrait oil on canvas, measuring 47.9 × 39.1 cm. It is listed under the genre of portrait within the museum’s European paintings department.
Context
The painting Head of a Young Boy, executed in oil on canvas in 1763 by Jean‑Baptiste Greuze, exemplifies the French artist’s neoclassical portraiture that blends idealized youth with moral sentiment. It entered the collection of Michael Friedsam and has been displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as a portrait genre work;. Scholars have noted its refined modeling and the subtle psychological nuance as representative of Greuze’s broader oeuvre, situating the piece within the Enlightenment‑era fascination with innocence and virtue in portraiture;.
Overview
Jean-Baptiste Greuze, a French painter recognized for his portraits and narrative scenes, completed Head of a Young Boy in 1763. This oil painting, a characteristic example of the Rococo period, captures the likeness of a young male subject. The artwork is presently held within the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, representing a facet of Greuze's extensive body of work.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Baptiste Greuze (French pronunciation: 21 August 1725 – 4 March 1805) was a French painter of portraits, genre scenes, and history painting.
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