Jean-Baptiste Greuze

Jean-Baptiste Greuze (21 August 1725 - 4 March 1805) was a French painter. He was born at Tournus, Saône-et-Loire. He 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 inclinations, though thwarted by his father, were encouraged by a Lyonnese artist named Grandon, or Grondom, who enjoyed during his lifetime considerable reputation as a portrait-painter. Grandon not only persuaded the father of Greuze to give way to his sons wishes, and permit the lad to accompany him as his pupil to Lyon, but, when at a later date he-himself left Lyon for Paris - where his son-in-law Grétry the celebrated composer enjoyed the height of favour - Grandon carried young Greuze with him.