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Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun
Portraitist to the Rich and Famous
Born in Paris on April 16th, 1755, Vigee Le Brun was one of the most successful Rococo and Neoclassical artists of her generation. The world fell in love with her unmatched wit, elegance, and charm.
Known for her ability to connect with the subjects she was painting, Vigee Le Brun had a knack for fashion, grace, and flattery. Beginning to work professionally by her early teens, her loose brushstrokes and bright colors caught the attention of none other than Marie Antoinette. She soon moved in to Versailles to become the royal portraitist.
However, after the French Revolution she was forced to flee and traveled abroad for 12 years to places like Italy, Austria, Germany, Russia, and Switzerland; continuing to paint all the while. Her work captivated audiences around the world with it's delicate freshness.
Vigee Le Brun was one of the most technically skilled artists of her time and dabbled in mythological and allegorical scenes, sometimes even portraying her clients as characters from myths. She also caused a ruckus in the art world by exhibiting a self-portrait in which she had an open smiling mouth. This was considered unladylike, yet she still continued to show women's smiling teeth in multiple paintings.