Èlisabeth Vigée Le Brun: […] happiness only in painting  

Speaker: Paul Lang, Deputy Director and Chief Curator National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

CSECS Host: Dr. Stephanie Dickey, Bader Chair in Northern Baroque Art, Queen’s University

Friday, October 28th, 7 :00pm

Location : Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen’s Campus (Light refreshments to follow)

Èlisabeth Vigée Le Brun can be considered the most important woman painter of her time. As early as 1778, she became Marie-Antoinette’s official portraitist, a title which was very beneficial to her career. Demonstrating a virtuosity that aroused much jealousy, she had a large clientele as she managed to portray her models with a beauty and an elegance that was not far from reality. Forced to flee France in 1789, she continued to renew the portrait genre in various European capitals. In Italy, Austria, Russia and Germany until 1802, then in England and Switzerland until 1808, she only strengthened her prestige and fame.