Oeufs cassés
1756
Jean-Baptiste Greuze was the master of the 'moralizing' genre scene, and this 1756 masterpiece is a perfect example. A young girl sits dejectedly on the floor, her basket of eggs smashed and spilled—a clear metaphor for lost innocence. While an older woman scolds her with a pointed finger, a young man leans casually against the wall, looking far too pleased with himself. The tiny toddler in the corner, oblivious to the drama, just wants to play with the broken shells. Greuze’s sentimental storytelling was so popular that the philosopher Denis Diderot practically worshipped his work, claiming his paintings were like novels you could hang on a wall.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
- Material
- Canvas
Location: Wallace Collection, London
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