Jean-Baptiste Greuze French Old Master Oil Painting 13.5" Portrait Authentic

Up for consideration is an antique portrait of a young child signed J.B. Greuze for John Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805). The painting is done on an old wooden panel measuring 11.5 x 13.5 inches with overall dimensions including the frame being 18.50 by 20.75. The painting has the artist printed name on the frame...there is also a dark circular seal on the bottom left front  along with artist's signature on bottom right shoulder... (J.B. Greuze) it is very dark but is easily viewable under the crusty old varnish. It is good.  The painting needs a cleaning which would really add a little more coloration and detail. At present the old varnish really mutes most of the details however this is good thing...it's better old and crusty then shiney and newly varnished which always is suspect when dealing with real important antiquities.  This piece was probably done later in his life as it is stated that later on he abondoned details for a pronounced use of color. It falls in line with most of his works depicting children same colored auburn hair the use of a hand and coloration to convey a child flushed with some emotional response. As with all his works they are not just a simple portrait but there is always something being conveyed...a particular emotion...lost in thought...perplexed...mournful...embarrassed...you decide...studying observing calculating...just look at some of his work all of which display something...The record setting painting recently set was a child mourning over pet bird...likewise the hand work style and pose is found in many of his works and denotes the mannerist Old Masters technique of demonstrating one skills by painting detailed  anatomical parts muscles thrust out in the front showing his ability to paint hands as opposed to hiding them and or dramatizing the detail slightly in a way of more or less bragging...    According to scholarly works that address his journery through life and how his works evolved stylistically it is said that his early works are renowned to demonstrate great attention to detail and his latter years the use of color such as this one was used to convey his interpretation or the message that he tried to instill in the work...this is also evidenced by his own self portraits later in life where his cheeks are flushed. So not sure if the photos captures this but the hair is quite descheveled with great detailing when viewing up close. The exact pose with the index finger at the mouth can be see in a few of his works. However many artists shy away from showing hands as the hand is the most elusive thing for artists to capture. It is the deciding variable when assessing a painting for it's technical merit for the most in Realism.  This Half Bust portraiture is anything but reserved and the hand is literally displayed with pride in your face as within that style and period it is considered well done. As one can see Grueze was proud of his abilities of which he has demonstrated in this present work as the hands are the tell tale sign. Faces are easy to paint in comparison to hands...when assessing the technical merit and skill of an artist one need to look at the hands to distinquish between those who have it and those who may not. He did do portraits of himself perhaps this is one as such... Please understand the child at first glance look unproportional in features however closer examination in various lighting scenarios shows the layers of old varnish darken the area around the lips, mouth and backside of fingers and hand... etc... giving it different perspective then what the artist intended. It is my contention that a proper professional cleaning will release unseen subtles that only a Master such Grueze could depict. At the end of his career Greuze painting skills had diminshed significantly and the demand for his Genre paintings such as this had decreased. He died in the Louvre after squandering his fortune and with the aid of an embezzling wife...hmmm that's a first!!!      There looks to be some writing on the back of the panel and an oil crayon type with large numbers...the frame and it's construction is consistent with the latter part of the 18th Century and beginning of the 19th Century. I would date it as early Napoleonic era almost an Empire style...   If you have any questions or something to share please message me. The painting comes from a local private estate sale of which the person had inherited a few things from a relative. A few of the items were of the period. If you have any questions or something to share please message me. Christies set a new World for this artist in the sale "A Park Avenue Collection 04/17/24 of a young girl weeping over a dead bird by Greuse at 27x 30 inches for a Whopping $2,470,000.00 buyers premium included. His works are highly sought after...This piece has been in my personal collection for quite some time. It was purchased from an estate with ties to France...if only there was something we could do to correct Eckels stepping off the path some time ago !  If you have any questions or something to share please message me.   Best Regards, Johnny JohnnyCrystal Est. 1987