Madame Perregaux
Learn more about this captivating portrait that reflects the opulence and impending upheaval of pre-revolutionary France.
Madame Perregaux (1789) by Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le BrunThe Wallace Collection
This lively image of a woman by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun has an informal quality, the woman peaking from behind a curtain as if caught in a moment of fun. The painting depicts the wife of a successful banker and art collector and was painted just before the French Revolution.
Vigée Le Brun was known for her portraits of fashionable people dressed in sumptuous and elegant attire. Vigée Le Brun's masterful depiction of the various textures within the painting, including velvet, lace, and feathers, creates a visually seductive surface.
The bright red feather on the woman’s hat and the red ribbon on her shoulder draw the viewer's eye upwards to focus on a surprisingly youthful face framed with grey ringlets, fashionably powdered.
Few women were admitted to the Académie Royale and Vigée Le Brun struggled to gain acceptance from the art establishment. This miniature copy of her self-portrait firmly conveys her identity as an artist, depicting her holding a palette and brushes, the tools of her trade.
Her fashionable attire in this self-portrait advertises her skill in depicting the textures found in fashionable clothing of the time. Sitters such as Madame Perregaux would have been wealthy socialites wanting to be depicted in all their finery.
Vigée Le Brun was a favourite portrait artist of Queen Marie Antoinette and painted her several times. Her royal connections initially served her well as the King put pressure on the Académie Royale to offer Vigée Le Brun membership.
Madame Perregaux (1789) by Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le BrunThe Wallace Collection
This is one of the last paintings Vigée Le Brun created before the Revolution forced her to flee France. Her friendship with Marie Antoinette made it unsafe for her to stay in her native country. She continued to paint in exile, sending paintings to the Academie for exhibition.
Continue exploring the rich stories of women featured in our collection here.
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