Figure 1.--"Boy with a Lesson Book" (17??) by Jean-Baptiste Greuze is charming study by Jean-Baptiste Greuze showing an intense looking boy that is self concious of the fact that he is being looked upon. Notice the hair style, which HBC does not know how to describe. Also notice the blouse wrist cuffs. HBC has noted a similar style in France as late as the 1860s. The painting itself, now hangs at the Edinburgh Art Museum. It was damaged during the Revolutionary Wars.

The availability of education expanded in the 18th century. Poor boys, however, received little or no schooling. The schools continued to be the province of the church. The French Revolution (1789) brought about a fundamental transformation of French society and education was no exception. The Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire which followed established the principal of free public education for all. Education was also secularized by taking it out of church hands. We have noted great diiferents in school clothing. Some boys wore closed virtually no existent collars. Other boys wore open ruffled collars. Knee breaches were the standard, although by the 1790s, some boys were wearing long pants skeleton suits. We believe that the coat worn by the boy in "Boy with a lesson Book" (17??) was quite common. Note that his collar is un buttoned, but that the collar if his blouse is almost non-existen. Also notice the interesting hair style.

Created: January 16, 2000
Last updated: January 17, 2002