The Guitarist

A young man bends over his guitar, fingers on the strings, glancing up with a soft, engaging smile as if pausing between verses. Jean-Baptiste Greuze, better known for tearful moralizing scenes, here simply catches the warmth and immediacy of a music-maker mid-song. Now in Nantes, the picture has the freshness of a caught moment - the polished wood of the instrument, the turned head, the inviting look - a charming study of youth and music that sets aside sermonizing for the plain pleasure of an appealing face and a tune.