Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun's Revolutionary Portraits of Marie Antoinette at the Met

A student's personal reflection on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibition of Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun's portraits reveals the artist's groundbreaking career. Vigée Le Brun, active from her teenage years until death, gained acceptance into the male-dominated Royal Academy in Paris despite facing ridicule. Her 1783 portrait 'La Reine en gaulle' depicted Marie Antoinette in a simple muslin dress with a straw hat, causing public uproar for its unconventional portrayal of royalty. The painting's relaxed pose contrasted sharply with traditional royal portraiture, yet maintained the queen's regal presence. Vigée Le Brun was compelled to create a second version showing Marie Antoinette in formal blue satin gown and lavish headdress, though both works share identical poses. Born in Paris on Rue Saint-Honoré after her mother remarried a wealthy jeweler, the artist married painter and dealer Jean-Baptiste-Pierre Le Brun in 1776. Her work included portraits of Russian Princess Alexandra Golitsyna and other aristocratic women of the late 1700s. The exhibition highlights how both Vigée Le Brun and Marie Antoinette challenged gender norms in their respective fields during an era when women had limited power.