Vigee Le Brun: Marie Antoinette In Court Dress

Recently the gallery show of Vigee Le Brun: Woman Artist of Revolutionary France opened up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vigee Le Brun is best known as one of the most infamous artists at the time, as she was a woman, and women were not expected to enter the world of art, and better yet, not expected to become one of the most influential artists at the time to paint the portraits of many important figures in pre-revolutionary France. Vigee Le Brun painted multiple portraits of Marie Antoinette, queen of France, wife of King Louis XVI, and mother of four. Other painters. Vigee Le Brun was one of few who could paint out the queen’s charm. Her paintings at the museum are all in very good condition, despite the vast amount of time that has passed.

She wears a very exquisite and extravagant ball gown, decorated with laces, bows and feathers. In her right hand is a pink colored rose. She is the center of the portrait, her face turned away from the painter. From outside the world of the painting, there is a ray of sunlight that comes shining down on her. The contrast of light and dark show space and depth, the foreground where Marie Antoinette stands is lighter and where the background is left with a gloomy and dark texture. Besides her is a table covered in red cloth and gold lining details. On that table is the crown, Marie Antoinette stands in a very important room in the palace. Inferring to the light and dark contrast, she seems to light up the room. As she is standing next to the crown equal to how high in power she is, the pink rose emphasizes the beauty she has that even the flower cannot compare