为玛丽皇后画像的女画家Elisabeth Vigee-Le Brun

当我们谈起著名画家时, 脑海中会浮现出哪些名字呢, Picasso, Van Gough, 还有很多, 几乎都是男性的名字,似乎女性画家很少，而法国著名的女画家Elisabeth Louise Vigee-Le Brun (1755-1842) , 则是历史上少有的女性画家中最为成功的一位，她的父亲和丈夫都是画家, 而她本人的成就明显超越了家庭带给她的荣耀. 同时, 还有人说, 她是当时巴黎上流社会最有魅力的女性之一。
这是画家26岁时候的自画像, 气质高雅, 清新脱俗.



Elisabeth Louise Vigee-Le Brun
(1755-1842)
Born in Paris, this court painter acquired fame in her homeland as well as throughout Europe. Vigee-LeBrun was mostly a self taught artist, but she received some artistic training from her father prior to his death and she was given advice by Greuze and Venet. Vigee-LeBrun traveled extensively and became a major player in 18th century high society despite her middle class upbringing. A professional portrait painter by the age of 15 years old, Vigee-LeBrun made considerable amounts of money and achieved economic independence for her family. A prolific artist, her work came to the attention of Marie Antoinette and in 1778 Vigee-LeBrun became court painter for the Queen. She became a member of the Royal Academy in 1783 but was forced to flee France in 1789 because of the Revolution and her close ties with the Queen. During her twelve years in exile, Vigee-Lebrun traveled to Italy, Vienna, Prague and Dresden. She was permitted re-entry into France in 1802, after 255 of her artist colleagues petitioned for her return. She traveled to St. Petersburg and London before returning to Paris in 1805 where she remained for the rest of her life. She continued to paint and was made an honorary member of the Societe pour l'Advancement des Beaux-arts in Geneva. In the 1830's she published her memoirs which give insight to her travels and her artistic career.

Bio by Lisa MacDonald 

1779年,Vigee-LeBrun24岁时开始为玛丽王后Marie Antoinette画肖像，成为王后的画家和朋友。Vigee-LeBrun也因此踏入了巴黎的上层社会，皇室和贵族纷纷请她画像。以至法国大革命后她 流亡国外，欧洲各国的皇室和贵族们都以能得到她所画的肖像而感到荣幸。

Portrait of the queen Marie Antoinette


虽然Vigee-LeBrun经历了法国大革命的动荡岁月， 但本人却并没有因此而受到什么影响， 正是因为她高超的画技,当时的王宫贵族都以得到她的画像而荣。

在1783和1789之间，是Vigee-LeBrun最有创造性和多产年代，这期间她展出的肖像和历史作品的数量，超过当时巴黎高等艺术学院两年一次的艺术沙龙的数量。即使在流亡期间也没有停止绘画，1801年返回巴黎后，Vigee-LeBrun仍致力于肖像画。一生共创作了八百多幅作品，其中大多是肖像画。是一位非常勤奋而多产的画家。

在她的笔下很多母亲孩子在一起的场景， 画的正是画家本人的生活.