Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842)

Primarily known for being Marie Antoinette’s favorite painter, Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun is one of the finest 18th-century French painters and female artists of all time. By age 15, Vigée Le Brun was earning enough money painting portraits to support both widowed mother and younger brother. After attending the Académie de Saint-Luc, she married Jean-Baptiste LeBrun, a painter and art dealer who helped her gain more recognition in the art world. Vigée LeBrun was not only known for her remarkable talent, but also for her understanding and sympathy for her sitters. Marie Antoinette appointed her to the French Royal Academy in 1783, making her one of only four female academicians. This appointment gave Vigée LeBrun a high artistic, social, and political profile. Once the French Revolution came Vigée LeBrun’s was forced to flee France with her nine-year-old daughter due to her close relationship with the Queen. After fleeing France, Vigée LeBrun continued to paint portraits for members of royal families, specifically the royal families of Naples, Russia and Prussia.

Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (French, 1755–1842) Etienne Vigée, 1773 Oil on canvas 61.6 x 50.5 cm The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (French, 1755–1842) Peace Bringing Back Abundance, 1780 Oil on canvas 103 x 133 cm The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (French, 1755–1842) Marie-Antoinette with the Rose, 1783 Oil on canvas 113 x 87 cm Palace of Versailles

Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (French, 1755–1842) Marie Antoinette and her Children, 1787 Oil on canvas 275 x 216.5 cm The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sources:

https://nmwa.org/explore/artist-profiles/%C3%A9lisabeth-louise-vig%C3%A9e-lebrun
https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2016/vigee-le-brun