The village marriage

The original, on canvas, 92 x 117 cm, has been in the Louvre since 1782. It was this painting, representing the moment in a family wedding ceremony when the father has presented the dowry to his new son-in-law, that brought Greuze acclaim in the Parisian art world. It was first exhibited at the Salon of 1761, on which occasion the art critic and famous encyclopaedist Diderot wrote a long postscript to his Salon account, praising the 'Marriage du Village' for its moral decency.

See illustration