![]() Yet even as one of the most popular portraitists of her time, she struggled to gain academic recognition for her art. ![]() Image id=1354557 align=center size=large caption=true Today, we are gifted with dozens of lovely portraits that bring out the humanity and vulnerability of the French nobles she painted, shaping our perception of their beauty and character. She was well-liked with all the people she worked with and was thus able to draw out the best qualities of them in her portraiture. ![]() Vigée herself was known to be charming and pleasant, an easy conversationalist who could draw out the personalities of her patrons in their sittings and was affectionately known as Madame Le Brun at court. Moreover, it demonstrates Vigée’s particular efforts to understand her patron and depict the truest essence of Antoinette’s self. Take the portrait “ Marie Antoinette with a Rose.” While Marie’s sumptuous skirts and graceful beauty evoke elements of Rococo, the simple naturalism of the scene and her understated, knowing smile create a sense of timeless elegance that transcends the Rococo artistic tradition. “Rococo” refers to the ornamental and theatrical style of decoration that arose in pre-Revolution France, permeating everything from the elaborate gilded architecture in Versailles to the pastel-hued frivolity of famous artworks like “ The Swing.” While Vigée’s portraits feature this exquisite treatment of light, color, and attention to beautiful details, her works also contain elements of naturalism that defy the typical Rococo aesthetic of excessive luxury. Image id=1354555 align=center size=large caption=true Vigée’s works have almost certainly shaped our perception of Antoinette’s cultural identity, laden with regal elegance and youthful vulnerability, especially in contrast to the larger presence of the French Rococo movement. The fact that these images are so widespread has perhaps contributed to our preoccupation and fascination with Marie Antoinette and the surprising but powerful empathy that people feel towards her. Her portraits are a clear and vivid depiction of Marie’s likeness, featuring delicate pastel colors and showcasing her dainty features. One artist in particular can be held responsible: Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Marie Antoinette’s court painter and a talented artist with a keen sensitivity to the nuances and quirks of her patrons. Instead what we have is a refreshing image of a regal, lovely, yet unusually sympathetic lady. And yet the portraits of Antoinette that emerged at the time are not necessarily characteristic of such elaborate overindulgence. I am equally amused, disturbed, and fascinated by the Rococo lifestyle that suffused every aspect of her life at Versailles, characterized by its gross extravagance often verging into tackiness and frivolity. Marie Antoinette is an iconic, larger-than-life historical figure who has long embodied the French cultural and social milieu pre-Revolution.
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