The Souvenir 1787 - 1789

Jean-Baptiste Greuze painted this portrait titled, The Souvenir, during a time when artists were exploring new ways to depict emotions and morality. Here, a young woman is portrayed holding a small dog and gazing upwards, her expression a mix of longing and innocence. This depiction is far from a traditional portrait of women at the time. The loose dress and the dreamy look present her outside of traditional parameters. You can see that the dog in her arms and the title of the work suggest a kind of memory of a lover. We can consider how gender and class dynamics are subtlely negotiated in the painting. It hints at a narrative of love and loss that was becoming increasingly popular in art. The painting invites us to reflect on the complexities of identity and the stories we tell ourselves about love, memory, and society's expectations.