Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun

Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun's paintings combine commissioned portraiture with expression and relationships between sitters. Portraits of Marie Antoinette connect her work with the French court, while paintings of women and children often soften formal presentation through gestures and exchanged looks. In Self Portrait in a Straw Hat, light and costume present her as a practicing artist. Its pose reflects her study of Rubens, showing how an earlier portrait could become a model for a new self-image.