10.7 Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun, French Portrait Painter

Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun was a genius at portrait painter. She rose from obscurity to being Marie Antoinette's official painter, which was great right up until it wasn't. When the French Revolution came, Elisabeth fled to Italy, Austria, and Russia, painting portraits all the way. Later generations have denigrated her, largely on the theory that anyone painting something so appealing must not have been a serious artist. Listen to hear why I disagree and see what you think! Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Follow me on Twitter as @her_half. Or on Facebook or Instagram as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices