Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
"After my return from Flanders [circa 1782], the Self-portrait in a Straw Hat and several other works of mine, were the cause of Joseph Vernet's decision to propose me as a member of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. Monsieur Pierre, then Premier peintre du Roi (first Painter to the King), made strong opposition, not wishing, he said, that women should be admitted. ... Monsieur Pierre, a very mediocre painter, was a clever man. Besides, he was rich, ... His opposition might have become fatal to me if all true picture-lovers had not been associated with the Academy, and if they had not formed a cabal, in my favour, against M. Pierre's. At last I was admitted ..."--memoirs of Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun |
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Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Le Brun (1755 - 1842) was a French painter recognized as the most famous woman painter of the eighteenth century.
Her style is generally considered Rococo and shows interest in the subject of neoclassical painting. Vigée-Le Brun cannot be considered a purely Neoclassist in that she creates mostly portraits in Neoclassical dress rather than the History painting.
In her choice of color and style while serving as the portrait painter to the Queen, Vigée-Le Brun is purely Rococo.