Kelsey Brosnan's New Book Re-evaluates Anne Vallayer-Coster, 18th-Century French Painter
On April 28, Kelsey Brosnan released her book *Anne Vallayer-Coster* through Lund Humphries, which reassesses the 18th-century French painter. This 152-page work marks the first English-language monograph on Vallayer-Coster (1744-1818) in more than two decades. Vallayer-Coster became a member of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in Paris on July 28, 1770, being one of just 16 women to achieve this before the 1789 revolution. With the backing of Marie Antoinette, she resided at the Louvre until 1806 and showcased her art at the Salon from 1771 to 1817. Brosnan delves into her creations beyond floral themes, examining allegory and food, and proposes that she may have incorporated ground shells for texture. J. Cabelle Ahn highlights Brosnan's emphasis on facture and manufacture.
Key facts
- Anne Vallayer-Coster lived from 1744 to 1818 and was known for flower painting.
- She was one of only 16 women admitted to the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in Paris before 1789.
- She was admitted unanimously on 28 July 1770 at age 25, with the usual two-step process waived.
- Kelsey Brosnan's book Anne Vallayer-Coster is published by Lund Humphries on 28 April, 152pp, £35.
- It is the first English-language monograph on Vallayer-Coster in more than 20 years.
- Vallayer-Coster had lodgings at the Louvre from the 1780s until 1806, the only female artist to do so before the revolution.
- She exhibited at the Salon from 1771 to 1817.
- Brosnan suggests Vallayer-Coster may have ground shells into her paint to achieve lobster shell texture.
Entities
Artists
- Anne Vallayer-Coster
- Kelsey Brosnan
- Marie Antoinette
- Empress Joséphine
- Marianne Roland Michel
- Alexandre Roslin
- Madeleine Françoise Basseporte
- Claude-Joseph Vernet
- Marie-Thérèse Reboul
- Jean Siméon Chardin
- Jean Pierre Silvestre Coster
- Jean-Baptiste Greuze
- Gerard van Spaendonck
- Adélaïde Labille-Guiard
- Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun
- Paul Cézanne
- J. Cabelle Ahn
Institutions
- Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture
- Lund Humphries
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
- Crocker Art Museum
- Gazette de France
- The Art Newspaper
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Versailles
- Louvre
- Washington, DC
- United States
- Sacramento