Greuze's Filial Piety

In Filial Piety Greuze depicts a working-class family gathered around their father in their humble underground home. In the center of the work Greuze uses diagonal lines and bright light to give emphasis to the body, face and hands of the dying patriarch. The diagonal lines created by the staircase create visual interest and help ground the viewer. The cloth that is draped over the handrail is reminiscent of classic dramatic scenes like Nicolas Poussin’s The Death of Germanicus. The gaze of every family member, including the dog is set on the dying father. Greuze paints most of the details of the scene on the bottom half of the picture plane leaving only some vague architecture on the top half.