A Girl with a Kitten - Jean-Baptiste Perroneau - Framed art Print

Jean-Baptiste Perronneau (1715-1783) was a well known French painter and engraver, born in Paris. He predominantly worked on portraits, primarily employing the medium of pastel.

Perronneau's wide-ranging work mirrored a hint of the Enlightenment spirit. This was showcased in the expressive faces he captured, the lively eyes he portrayed, and the subtle smiles he hinted at in his artwork. His pastels and oils often toyed with monochromatic variations, such as the ochres in Madame de Sorquainville's portrait, Pierre Bouguer's greys, François-Hubert Drouais and Laurent Cars, and the blue-grays in 'Fillette au chat', displayed at the National Gallery, London. Georges Brunel commented that his pastels looked a bit unfinished or time-worn, suggesting it was a deliberate stylistic choice.

While his contemporary, Maurice-Quentin de La Tour, outshined him during their lifetime with a more lively style, Perronneau's sober yet insightful style has been recognised as equally significant by later generations. Starting from around 1755, he led a nomadic life, traveling to England, Netherlands, Italy, Poland, and Russia. His prolific work is distributed in several galleries across France and beyond. The largest public collections of his work can be seen at the Louvre in Paris and the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Orléans.