Marie Antoinette's Life Told Through 10 Portraits by Vigée Le Brun, David, and Others
A collection of ten portraits showcases the life of Marie Antoinette, tracing her journey from a young bride to her execution during the French Revolution. The earliest piece, a miniature by Joseph Ducreux from 1769, was gifted to Louis Auguste, the Dauphin, prior to their wedding on May 16, 1770, at Versailles. Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun produced several significant representations, including a contentious 1783 portrait featuring a chemise dress and another in a blue-gray gown. Additional important works comprise portraits by Jean-Baptiste André Gautier-D'Agoty and Adolf Ulrik Wertmüller's 1785 painting with her children. On October 16, 1793, she was executed at the Place de la Révolution for conspiracy and high treason.
Key facts
- Marie Antoinette married Louis Auguste, the Dauphin of France, on May 16, 1770, at the Palace of Versailles.
- Joseph Ducreux painted a miniature portrait of Marie Antoinette in 1769 to show the Dauphin his future bride.
- Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun's 1783 portrait of the queen in a chemise dress caused controversy at the Salon for being too pastoral.
- Le Brun responded with another 1783 portrait showing Marie Antoinette in a blue-gray Lyon silk dress.
- Jean-Baptiste André Gautier-D'Agoty's 1775 portrait of Marie Antoinette with a globe was disliked when presented to the queen and court.
- Adolf Ulrik Wertmüller's 1785 painting portrayed Marie Antoinette with her two eldest children at the Petit Trianon to improve her image.
- Alexandre Kucharski depicted Marie Antoinette as a prisoner in the Temple Tower around 1792.
- Jacques-Louis David's 1793 drawing shows Marie Antoinette on her way to the guillotine; she was executed on October 16, 1793.
Entities
Artists
- Marie Antoinette
- Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun
- Joseph Ducreux
- Jean-Baptiste André Gautier-D'Agoty
- Adolf Ulrik Wertmüller
- Alexandre Kucharski
- Jacques-Louis David
- Louis Auguste
- Louis XVI
- Marie-Thérèse Charlotte
- Louis Joseph
- Louis Charles
- Catherine the Great
- Emperor Joseph II of Austria
Institutions
- Palace of Versailles
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Kunsthistorisches Museum
- Nationalmuseum
- Château du Champ-de-Bataille
- Louvre
Locations
- Versailles
- France
- New York City
- United States
- Vienna
- Austria
- Stockholm
- Sweden
- Eure
- Paris
- Petit Trianon
- Place de la Révolution
- Temple Tower