Sandpaper: Elisabeth-Louise Vigee-Lebrun

Vigee-Lebrun (1755-1842) was one of the most successful painters of the late 1700s. This was to lead to her eventual downfall; as court painter to Marie Antoinette, she had to make a sharp exit from France during the Revolution. The daughter of an artist, she was commanding top prices for her portraits by the age of 20 and won the most prestigious commissions. Frequent comparisons to Adelaide Labille-Guiard, who was elected to the French Royal Academy at the same time, meant that her work was never compared with male contemporaries. Prints are available to buy