You’re invited to a free lecture on 18th-century French portraitist Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, given by art historian Larissa Bailiff at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 1.
Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun
Living during the late 18th century, one of the most turbulent periods in European history and one in which women were essentially excluded from the official French Painting Academy, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun defied the odds.
A mostly self-taught but extremely talented artist, she achieved incredible success, even becoming, by her mid 20s, the favorite portraitist of Marie Antoinette. Forced to flee France during the upheaval of the Revolution, Vigée Le Brun lived in exile for several years, earning a comfortable living for herself and her daughter Julie by painting European heads of state.
The painter’s fascinating, cosmopolitan life story is the the stuff of movies, avant la lettre. In honor of both Women’s History Month and the Metroprolitan Museum of Art’s wonderful monographic exhibition of Vigée Le Brun’s work (running from Feb. 15-May 15), we celebrate this exceptional artist and cultural figure.
About the presenter
Over the last 12 years, art historian Larissa Bailiff has worked as an educator and instructor for MoMA, teaching more than 25 in-gallery courses. Her specialty is modern European art and culture, especially that of France and Spain. In recent months, Larissa has been developing content for a new immersive arts-education and technology company called WoofbertVR.
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— an announcement from Darien Library