Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun's Self-Portrait in a Straw Hat Analyzed
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun's Self-Portrait in a Straw Hat (1782, National Gallery, London) is examined as a complex image challenging sexism and class privilege. Vigée Le Brun, a prominent 18th-century French portraitist and official painter to Queen Marie Antoinette, depicts herself in fashionable aristocratic attire—a chemise en gaulle, black shawl, and straw hat—holding a palette and brushes, asserting her professional identity. Despite lacking formal education and being one of only four women admitted to the Académie Royale, she painted over 660 portraits and 200 landscapes, becoming the most successful portraitist of her time. The painting reflects her ability to blend aristocratic flattery with middle-class virtue, infiltrating the highest circles through talent and determination.
Key facts
- Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun painted Self-Portrait in a Straw Hat in 1782.
- The painting is held at the National Gallery, London.
- Vigée Le Brun was the official portrait painter to Queen Marie Antoinette.
- She was one of four women admitted to the Académie Royale.
- She painted over 660 portraits and 200 landscapes.
- The painting shows her in a chemise en gaulle dress, black shawl, and straw hat.
- She holds a palette and brushes to assert her professional status.
- Vigée Le Brun lacked formal education but achieved international recognition.
Entities
Artists
- Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun
- Queen Marie Antoinette
Institutions
- National Gallery, London
- Académie Royale
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- France