Elisabeth Vigee Lebrun

Elisabeth Vigee-Le Brun Elisabeth Le Brun is known as a prominent woman artist in Eighteenth Century art. She is known for her work as a portrait painter. Her most famous works are included in the series that she had painted at age twenty-four of Queen Marie-Antoinette. Elisabeth was a woman of so many talents. Before she died at eighty-seven years old, she was an accomplished artist, exceptional musician, and a loving mother. She was an unusually unattractive woman. Although, she

was charming and self-confident with an ability topresent her sitters"tm personas with an advantage. The styles characteristics were free, gracefulmovements; a playful use of line; and delicate colors. This portrait was the last of thirty that Elisabeth painted ofthe doomed Queen. Love and romance were considered to be better subjects forart than historical or religious subjects. She was very reputable because shemanaged to keep her head and professional reputation in a time of the French Revolution. Here is a quote characterizing her art as, "a conspicuous anachronism,typifying the final attempt by Ancient Regime society to shut its eyes to unwelcomedrealities, and to take refuge in a world of make-believe and fancy dress". Marie-Antoinette is painted with afair complexion and is portrayed as an extremely feminine woman. Nine years later she began work on her mostfamous portrait series of Marie-Antoinette, which included "Marie-Antoinette and herchildren at Verssailles-1788". The Queen and Elisabeth developed a close relationship whichlater became too dangerous. Elisabeth was a painter of theRococo period which placed emphasis on portraying the carefree life of the nobility ratherthan on heroes or martyrs. By the age fifteen shecould have supported herself and her family. Whereupon she gained fame in France, Italy, Austria, and Russia. After Marie-Antoinette and Louis XIV were arrested,Elisabeth began twelve years of exile. Elisabeth shows Marieas a good motherly figure.