Artist: Jean-Baptiste Greuze, French, 1725–1805, Head of an Old Man, Study for A Marriage Contract, Red and black chalk with gray wash, 55.6 × 39.4 cm (21 7/8 × 15 1/2 in.), This drawing is a replica by Jean-Baptiste Greuze of his study for the head of the father of the bride in his painting A Marriage Contract (Louvre, Paris). After using the original study—although with a slight alteration of position—Greuze sold it to an admiring collector friend, and he might have made this copy to record the first, or with the thought of selling it, too. When the critic Denis Diderot saw the painting at the Salon in 1761, he wrote that this father of the bride has an air of simple good-heartedness. Baron Grimm, Diderot’s coauthor, was more effusive: One cannot look at this old man of Greuze’s without feeling tears coming to the eyes. What a good father! … Certainly he must be saying to his son-in-law: My son, do not thank me for the money; it is for my daughter that you must thank me; she is more precious to me than all that I possess., French, 18th century, Works on Paper - Drawings and Watercolors
Keywords:
Artist, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, French, 1725–1805, Head, Old Man, Study, Marriage Contract, Red, black chalk, gray wash, drawing, replica, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, study, head, the father, the bride, painting, Marriage Contract, Louvre, Paris, ., using, original study—although, slight alteration, position—Greuze sold, admiring collector friend, and, might, copy, record, first, thought, selling, too., critic Denis Diderot saw, painting, Salon, 1761, wrote, father, the bride, air, simple good-heartedness. Baron Grimm, Diderot’s coauthor, effusive, cannot look, old man, Greuze’s, feeling tears coming, eyes., good father! … Certainly, must, saying, son-in-law, My son, do, thank me, money, my daughter, you must thank me, precious, me, I possess., French, 18th century, Works, Paper, Drawings and Watercolors
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