Antique Oil Painting After JeanBaptiste Greuze Portrait of a Young Girl with Dog

Antique Oil Painting After Jean-Baptiste Greuze – Portrait of a Young Girl with a Little Dog – Gilt Frame

A wonderfully atmospheric small antique portrait, depicting a young girl turning towards the viewer while cradling a little dog beneath her arm.

The composition is after the celebrated 18th-century French painter Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725–1805) and closely follows the work generally known as Portrait of a Young Girl with a Little Dog (Portrait de fillette au petit chien).

The girl is portrayed with softly curled auburn-brown hair, a pale cap behind her head and a wonderfully expressive, slightly wistful face. Nestled against her is a small brown and white dog, its head just appearing above the dark folds of her clothing.

The painting appears to be oil on canvas, with visible hand-applied brushwork particularly apparent through the hair, clothing, cap and background. It is a later interpretation of Greuze's composition rather than a work by Greuze himself.

We believe it most likely dates from the late 19th to early 20th century, approximately 1890–1920, although, as the painting is unsigned and has no surviving provenance, we cannot give an exact date or identify the artist. ( Please note a signature may be present if item taken out of frame we have not tried to do this if a signature and date could be found this may increase the value significantly!!)

It is presented in an ornate gilt frame with raised scrolling, floral and foliate decoration. The richly moulded frame has aged beautifully, with areas of darker underlying colour showing through the worn gilding and plenty of time-earned patina. Its slightly faded grandeur works particularly well with the warm, muted colours of the portrait.

Condition

This is an old painting and frame and both show noticeable evidence of their age. Please study all photographs carefully as they form an important part of the description.

The painted surface has general age-related wear, including surface dirt, discolouration and what appears to be an aged varnish layer. There are scattered small marks, light scratches, abrasions and areas of wear across the surface.

Most notably, there is a visible line of damage through the area of the girl's pale sleeve/shoulder, which can clearly be seen in our close-up photographs. This appears as a narrow irregular crack, scratch or old surface split in the paint layer. We have made no attempt to disguise or restore this.

There are also occasional small pale marks and blemishes to the surface, together with some unevenness and age-related variation in the paint and varnish.

The gilt frame also has considerable age-related wear. There is rubbing and loss to the gilded finish, exposing darker red/brown tones beneath in places. The applied decorative moulding has various chips, small losses, cracks and worn areas, particularly around the corners and raised ornament. Some sections of decoration are darker than others through accumulated age and wear.

The reverse shows an older wooden inner strainer together with the existing backing arrangement and hanging ring. The canvas and/or mounting may have received attention at some stage during its life; we therefore make no claim that every element of the present construction is original to the painting.

We have not cleaned, restored or revarnished the picture. It is being offered exactly as found. Professional conservation or cleaning may improve its appearance, but we would always recommend that this is assessed by a suitably experienced picture conservator rather than attempted at home.

Despite these imperfections, the painting displays extremely well. In fact, much of its charm comes from the mellowed paint surface, worn gilding and sense of genuine age.

Dimensions

Overall framed size: approximately 30 cm × 24 cm

Visible painted area: approximately 25 cm × 20 cm

Attribution: After Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725–1805)

Subject: Portrait of a Young Girl with a Little Dog

Medium: Appears to be oil on canvas

Date: Believed late 19th / early 20th century, circa 1890–1920

Artist: Unknown / unsigned

Why we love it

There is something particularly appealing about this little portrait. The girl's quiet expression, the tiny dog tucked protectively against her and the wonderfully timeworn gilt frame give it a romantic, slightly faded quality that is very difficult to reproduce with modern decorative art.

Its connection to a recognised composition by Jean-Baptiste Greuze adds another layer of interest, while the compact proportions make it an easy picture to display as part of a gallery wall, above a small piece of furniture or simply propped among a collection of antique objects.

An evocative old painting with genuine decorative presence — imperfections, history and all.

Please note: This painting is described as “after Jean-Baptiste Greuze”, meaning that it was painted by another, unidentified artist using Greuze's known composition. It is not being offered as an original work by Jean-Baptiste Greuze.

As with all our antique and vintage pieces, signs of age and previous use are part of the item's history. Please examine the photographs carefully for condition. Our descriptions and attributions are made to the best of our knowledge and research.