Marie Antoinette and Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun had a close professional and personal relationship. Vigée Le Brun was one of the queen’s favorite portraitists and became her official court painter. She created numerous portraits of Marie Antoinette, portraying her in various roles—from an elegant monarch to a loving mother—in an effort to improve her public image.
Their relationship went beyond artist and subject; they shared mutual admiration and respect. Vigée Le Brun benefited greatly from the queen’s patronage, which helped her gain recognition in the male-dominated art world. However, during the French Revolution, her association with Marie Antoinette made her a target, forcing her to flee France in 1789.
