Une jeune Fille qui fait sa prière au pied de l’autel de l’Amour 1767

Jean-Baptiste Greuze, created this oil on canvas, *A Young Girl Praying at the Altar of Love*, at a time when the societal expectations for women were heavily policed. This image encapsulates the complex interplay of love, virtue, and societal expectation in 18th-century France. The young woman is kneeling in what appears to be a private garden. Her posture and dress suggest both piety and sensuality, embodying the tightrope women walked between virtue and desire. The Cupid statue holding a garland symbolizes love and perhaps the marriage she is praying for. But, we might consider the historical realities in which women’s lives were often determined by marriage as a transaction. The very act of praying to love, or for love, is in itself a negotiation. The woman's gaze is directed upwards, her hands clasped in prayer. Is she desiring true love or a socially advantageous match? Greuze captures a moment of introspection where personal desire meets societal expectation.