Daring

Supremelytalented and strategically charming, Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun (1755-1842)overcame tragedy and broke gender barriers to reach the height of success asa portrait painter, first in Paris, and then across Europe. After losing herfather at age twelve and facing financial insecurity, she fought to gainaccess to artistic training and opportunity. She was pressured to marry atage twenty, to an art dealer who both helped and harmed her career. Vigee LeBrun deployed her intelligence and beauty to attract powerful clients, whorelied on her to style the personal identities they projected to theworld. Vigee Le Brun's salons were the talk of Paris, and she became court painterto Marie Antoinette. Then came the French Revolution, when marginalizedgroups demanded change to centuries-old systems of oppression. Vigee Le Brunwas forced to reexamine her alliances and run for her life, taking her youngdaughter but leaving her husband behind. Making her way through thecountrysides and capitals of Europe and Russia-including a stay at theimperial court of Catherine the Great-the artist conquered fear and adversityto refashion her life and her art. Ages thirteen and up