(Paris 1748–1821)
An aristocratic lady in an interior, signed and dated upper centre: P. A. Wille/1776 no. 22, oil on canvas, 57.5 x 46.5 cm, in an original carved and gilded Louis XVI frame,

Exhibited: Paris Salon, 1777, no. 175. ,

Provenance: Coll. Arthur and W. Sévérine Frankel.

This painting is a characteristic work of the late Ancien Régime. J. B. Greuze had established sentimental genre painting almost on an equal footing with highly prestigious history painting. A considerable demand developed amongst collectors in Paris for this kind of work, which depicted scenes from everyday life in a contemporary setting in the tradition of Dutch genre painting. It is the luxurious setting here which is fascinating. The lady’s attire, as is her furniture, is costly. One of the best known proponents of this genre was Pierre Alexandre Wille, son of the engraver, Johann Georg Wille, who was admitted to the Academy in 1774 after his apprenticeships to Greuze and Vien. Wille produced many such sensitively observed genre scenes with a slightly coquettish undertone.

Exhibited: Paris Salon, 1777, no. 175. , Provenance: Coll. Arthur and W. Sévérine Frankel. This painting is a characteristic work of the late Ancien Régime. J. B. Greuze had established sentimental genre painting almost on an equal footing with highly