Can you help with this painting?

Bought this at an estate auction. Finally got around to looking at it closely today. So I see the JB Greuze Paris 1798 in pencil on the back, and then old label with "Admiration/Jean Baptiste Greuze/French 1798" on the back. I look up this guy, and it turns out he's a really major french artist. Then I research the old gallery label and find it is from James Bourlet, who have been around since the 19th c. as a biz that puts on exhibitions, frames and restores art.

So, I look high and low through Greuze paintings, which this resembles. Greuze apparently went through this "head of a woman" phase late in his career and also had given these works titles such as "admiration and desire."

Anyway, I finally found a work of Greuze that looks very similar to this one. I found it at this site here, http://www.fineart-china.com/htmlimg/image-43246.html, which sells reproductions. The thing is I can't find this portrait anywhere else on the web, and the site gives no source, as in, where this work resides. I wrote the owner of the site (apparently in china) asking where this painting comes from. I'm hopeful that I'll get a reply.

So, the frame is obviously newer. Stretchers are old but the tacks in the canvas are 20th c. (i think). The painting itself appears quite early, and looks to have had some kind of cleaning although the surface has a heavy coating of varnish which gives this painting a brown look. Also, the horrible pink of the clothes was added later and is on top of the varnish (there is even a tiny speck lower down of the pink where it must have splattered). the lips looked horribly touched up, too. It also appears that some old damage was repaired at some time before this browning varnish went on.

Anyway, what do you all think about my mystery here? I suppose this could be a copy of the above work that I linked to or another version of that work, perhaps a study by Greuze himself. His paintings seem to range from incredibly fine like the one linked to above to evocative but sort of not quite so realistic looking. Unfortunately, his works were not typically signed. Would like to get everyone's thoughts. I attached a ton of photos. Thanks!

 

He was quite prolific, and the quality of his work ranged quite a bit:

 

what an interesting story: http://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/04/a...is-public-were-tears.html?src=pm&pagewanted=1

 

I'm generally familiar with Greuze and have seen this work before, but not certain where it is. Perhaps a private collection?

This appears to be a decorative simulacrum of the 1765-80 Greuze girl you cited...not intended as a forgery. There were many such copies of Greuze, particularly from the 19th Century.

The workmanship in general does not appear up to Greuze's standard.

Without examining the actual picture it's hard to say much more. As you seem to understand there are various possibilities...

 

The original is in the National Gallery, London:
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jean-baptiste-greuze-a-girl

I went there after finding a Russian site that had the image, and it listed where the painting was located.

The National Gallery site says it may be a fragment, or a study for a larger work.

 

It's interesting how societal tastes in art change through time.

 

Thank you folks! I am leaning toward some kind of period copy but I shot an email off to one of the more friendly art experts at Sotheby's just in case. I think I have about $50 in this piece so I am hopeful it will be a money maker either way. Just how many zeros is gonna be the issue!

 

I have a framed print of Greuze's The Wool Winder in my bedroom. Very restful, and it has a cat in it.

 

Good luck, Sal!

 

ooh that's nice

 

thanks kent!

 

That's quite the stretcher on the back.
That's some nice wood workmanship .

I love wood!

 

That's what I was thinking. Must have been expensive... as stretchers go.

 

I'm just gonna put it on eBay and let it rip. Wish me luck, hoping it brings like $50,000

 

At 50 large......u can take us all out to dinner !!!!

Go man , go !!!

 

Good luck! Let us know how it goes, not sure how to see others sales here