Jean-Baptiste Greuze – L’enfance en lumière: Rediscovering a Forgotten Master of the 18th Century

Paris, Autumn 2025 – The Petit Palais is shining a spotlight on Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725–1805), once adored by critics and collectors but later overshadowed in art history. To mark the 300th anniversary of his birth, the museum presents L’enfance en lumière, a retrospective that reexamines Greuze’s oeuvre through the theme of childhood.

Childhood as a Mirror of the Enlightenment

Greuze was a master of portraits and genre scenes, capturing the subtleties of human emotion with rare sensitivity. This exhibition focuses on his depictions of children, a motif central to his work and deeply connected to the ideals of the Age of Enlightenment. His paintings resonate with the writings of philosophers such as Diderot, Rousseau, and Condorcet, who emphasized the importance of education, parental responsibility, and the child’s role in society.

Greuze’s art was once considered daring and modern, praised for its emotional depth and moral resonance. By revisiting his work today, the exhibition invites audiences to reflect on how childhood became a central theme in 18th-century culture, and how Greuze’s paintings anticipated debates on education and family that remain relevant.

Jean-Baptiste Greuze – L’enfance en lumière is not only a tribute to a forgotten master but also a meditation on the enduring significance of childhood in art and society. With a hundred works gathered from across the world, the Petit Palais offers a rare chance to rediscover Greuze’s sensitivity and audacity. Visitors have until 25 January 2026 to experience this luminous journey into the heart of the Enlightenment.

What Visitors Will See

- Works Displayed: Around 100 paintings, drawings, and prints from international collections

- Highlights: Tender portraits of children, family scenes, and moral narratives that reveal Greuze’s ability to blend sentiment with social commentary

- Dates: 16 September 2025 – 25 January 2026

- Venue: Petit Palais, Avenue Winston-Churchill, Paris 8e

- Practical Info: Tickets €14 (reduced €12, free under 18). Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10h–18h, with late openings until 20h on Fridays and Saturdays