Suzanne’s early copy of Vigee Le Brun’s self portrait.
For more images of this residence click here.
We have always been very interested in Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun’s (French, 1755–1842) work and story. She was one of the most well respected female artists in the 18th and 19th centuries in France. This position did not come without scrutiny though, as painting was a male driven profession and a female painter, good enough for the Queen, was not well received. Vigée Le Brun was not accepted into the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture until Queen Marie Antoinette stepped in. Vigée Le Brun’s story of over coming adversity and rising to the top of your profession is truly inspirational.
The exhibition at the MET, which will be there until May15th, is an outstanding and well-deserved tribute to the artist. The exhibition has traveled around Europe before coming to the MET and will continue to Canada after the show closes. We highly recommend the exhibition, and if you have the time, stop by the Van Dyck exhibition at the Frick. The comparison between Van Dyck’s traditional work (1599-1641) and the evolution to the more contemporary Vigée Le Brun is outstanding.
To read more about the Vigée Le Brun exhibition, click here.
Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (French, 1755–1842), Marie Antoinette and Her Children, 1787. Oil on canvas,108 1/4 x 85 ¼ inches.
Image courtesy of Suzanne Lovell Inc.
Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (French, 1755–1842), Self Portrait, 1790. Oil on Canvas, 39 3/8 x 31 7/8 inches.
Image courtesy of Suzanne Lovell Inc.
Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (French, 1755–1842), Princess Antoni Henryk Radzwill, 1802. Oil on Canvas, 31¾” X 25 ¼”.
Image Courtesy of Suzanne Lovell Inc.
Van Dyck used much looser brush stokes as evidenced by this painting.
Anthony Van Dyck, Margareta de Vos, Oil on Canvas, 11×14 inches.
Image Courtesy of the Frick Collection.