Melancholy Young Lover
Artist
Jean-Baptiste Greuze
(French, 1725 – 1805)
Datec. 1770
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions66 × 54 × 3 9/16 in. (167.7 × 137.1 × 9 cm)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936
Object numberSN382
Greuze’s paintings of young women always convey strong emotions and sentiments, particularly in relation to love. The girl here poses with her hand on her cheek, gazing mournfully into the distance, presumably thinking of her absent lover. For Greuze, doves symbolized lovers, so the snapping, squirming birds to either side of the girl’s arm atop the classical column beside her perhaps indicate an unhappy separation.
On View
On viewLocation
- Museum of Art, Gallery 15, Wall North
