Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun: Most Successful 18th Century Female Artist
Who is Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun?
Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun was born in 1755 and died in 1842 in France.
In 18th century France, Vigée Le Brun’s ability to depict specific subjects in an admiring and elegant style made her to be one of the most prominent portrait painters.
Through the use of loose brushwork and fresh, bright colours, Vigée Le Brun portrayed the models posed gracefully in their most stylish clothing.
A lot of her clients were of aristocracy or royalty, including Queen Marie Antoinette who demanded more than 30 commissions.
Throughout the 1780s, Vigée Le Brun painted members of the French royal court and aristocracy. But she also created portraits of her personal life, such as herself with her daughter.
After returning back to Paris in 1802, Vigée Le Brun continued to enjoy the successful life that was very unusual for a female.
What is the Rococo and Neoclassical genre?
Rococo is an art style that is characterized by soft colors and curvy lines, depicting scenes of love, nature, light-hearted entertainment, and youth. On the other hand, neoclassical art is an art style that is differentiated by grandeur of scale, simplicity of geometric forms, dramatic use of columns, and a preference for blank walls.
Let’s explore Vigée Le Brun’s artworks!
Incorporating the Rococo and Neoclassical genre, Vigée Le Brun embraced the warm atmosphere of the Ancien Regime of pre-revolutionary France, a period of peace.
This portrait, painted in 1783 depicts the Queen of France, Marie Antoinette with a look that seems amused. Vigée Le Brun used oil on canvas and all the aspects of the painting lead to a wonderfully flattering image.
Fun Fact
Vigée Le Brun was very fond of the Queen Marie Antoinette, describing the way she walks as “better than any than any other woman in France, holding her head very high with a majesty that singled her out in the midst of the entire court”.
Other paintings of Vigée Le Brun include portraits of many women, usually from higher class, like Vigée Le Brun herself with her daughter Julie, Marie Antoinette with her 3 children, and even Bacchante, the ancient god of wine.
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