GREUZE, JEAN BAPTISTE (1725-1805), French painter, was born at Tournus, in Burgundy, on Aug. 21, 1725, and is generally said to have formed his own talent ; this is, however, true only in the most limited sense, for at an early age his in clinations, though thwarted by his father, were encouraged by a Lyonnese artist named Grandon, who enjoyed during his life time considerable reputation as a portrait-painter. Grandon not only persuaded the father of Greuze to give way to his son's wishes, and permit the lad to accompany him as his pupil to Lyons, but, when at a later date he himself left Lyons for Paris he carried young Greuze with him. Settled in Paris, Greuze worked from the living model in the school of the Royal Academy, but did not attract the attention of his teachers ; and when he produced his first picture, "Le Pere de famille expliquant la Bible a ses enfants," considerable doubt was felt and shown as to his share in its production. By other and more remarkable works of the same class Greuze soon established his claims beyond con test, and won for himself the notice and support of the well known connoisseur La Live de Jully, the brother-in-law of Madame d'Epinay. In 1755 Greuze exhibited his "Aveugle trompe," upon which, presented by Pigalle the sculptor, he was immediately agree by the Academy. Towards the close of the same year he left France for Italy, probably in order to silence those who taxed him with ignorance of "great models of style," but the Italian subjects which formed the entirety of his contri butions to the Salon of 1757 showed that he had been put on a false track, and he speedily returned to the source of his first inspiration. In 1759, 1761 ("L'Accordee de village"—Louvre), and 1763 Greuze exhibited with ever-increasing success; in 1765 he reached the zenith of his powers and reputation. In that year he was represented by no fewer than 13 works, amongst which may be cited "La Jeune Fille qui pleure son oiseau mort," "La Bonne Mere," "Le Mauvais fils puni" (Louvre) and "La Malediction paternelle" (Louvre). The Academy took occasion to press Greuze for his diploma picture, the execution of which had been long delayed, and forbade him to exhibit on their walls until he had complied with their regulations. "J'ai vu la lettre," says Diderot, "qui est un modele d'honnetete et d'estime; j'ai vu la reponse de Greuze, qui est un modele de vanite et d'imperti nence: it fallait appuyer cela d'un chef d'oeuvre, et c'est ce que Greuze n'a as fait." Greuze wished to be received as a his torical painter, and produced a work to vindicate his right to despise his qualifications as a peintre de genre. This unfor tunate canvas—"Severe et Caracalla" (Louvre)—was exhibited in 1769 side by side with Greuze's portrait of Jeaurat (Louvre) and his admirable "Petite File au chien noir." The Acade micians received their new member with all due honours, but at the close of the ceremonies the director addressed Greuze in these words—"Monsieur, l'Academie vous a recu, mais c'est comme peintre de genre; elle a en egard a vos anciennes produc tions, qui sort excellentes, et elle a f erme les yeux sur celle-ci, qui n'est digne ni d'elle ni de vous." Greuze, greatly incensed, quarrelled with his confreres, and ceased to exhibit until, in 1804, the revolution had thrown open the doors of the Academy to all the world. In the following year, on March 4, 1805, he died in the Louvre in great poverty.
The brilliant reputation which Greuze acquired seems to have been due to the nature of his subjects. He gave expression in art to that return to nature which inspired Rousseau's attacks upon an artificial civilization. The touch of melodramatic exaggeration in his work finds an apology in the firm and brilliant play of line, in the freshness and vigour of the flesh tints, in the enticing soft ness of expression (of ten obtained by almost an abuse of meplats), by the alluring air of health and youth, by the sensuous attrac tions, in short, with which Greuze invests his lessons of bourgeois morality. As Diderot said of "La Bonne Mere," "ca preche la population." One of Greuze's pupils, Madame Le Doux, imitated with success the manner of her master; his daughter and grand daughter, Madame de Valori, also inherited some traditions of his talent. Madame de Valori published in 1813 a comedie-vaudeville, Greuze, on l'accordee de village, to which she prefixed a notice of her grandfather's life and works, and the Salons of Diderot also contain, besides many other particulars, the story at full length of Greuze's quarrel with the Academy. Four of the most dis tinguished engravers of that date, Massard pere, Flipart, Gaillard and Levasseur, were specially entrusted by Greuze with the re production of his subjects, but there are also excellent prints by other engravers, notably by Cars and Le Bas.
See also Normand, J. B. Greuze. (1 892) ; C. Mauclair, J. B. Greuze, ca vie, son oeuvre, son époque, avec une introduction de Henri Mavell, Catal. rais. par Jean Martin (1906) ; A. E. Macklin, Greuze (Master pieces in colour, 1907).