Editing Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (section)

==== Switzerland in 1808 ====
[[File:VigeeLeBrun ViewOfTheLakeOfChallesAndMontBlanc MIA 200751.jpg|thumb|250px|''Lake of Challes and [[Mont Blanc]]'', painted during her travels to Switzerland, [[Minneapolis Institute of Art|Minneapolis institute of Art]].]]

With her desire for travel still not sated, Vigée Le Brun re-entered Switzerland in 1808 via [[Neuchâtel]], and then visited [[Lucerne]], where she was enchanted by the picturesque and wild town. The artist also visited Brown {{sic}} and the market town of [[Schwyz]], then [[Zug]], where she crossed [[Lake Zug]]. She visited an inn where she wanted to visit the infamous landslide of [[Goldau]]. The artist visited the valley, once populated with several villages, now buried under rocks. Heavy with sorrow, she contemplated the remains of the villages for a long time before departing for [[Arth]]. Vigée Le Brun then climbed [[Küssnacht]], intending to visit the spot where the legendary [[William Tell]] was said to have killed [[Albrecht Gessler]]; at the time a chapel had been constructed on the location. There, the artist observed a shepherd and shepherdess singing to each other across the valley, a local courting custom, although the two stopped singing when they noticed her. The "communication of love through melody" presented her with a delightful scene, which she would describe as an [[eclogue]] in action.

The artist then visited [[Unterseen]], where she was fortunate to arrive in time to witness the [[Unspunnenfest|Shepherd's festival]] at [[Unspunnen Castle|Unspunnen castle]], which took place once every century. She was hosted by M. and Mme Konig, who hosted all notable people who came to visit the festivals. Vigée Le Brun went to the château du Bailli to witness the start of the festival, which had been postponed a few days due to incessant rain, and was captivated by the festival's solemn pastoral chants and fireworks at night. The next day, she returned to see the festival taking place at half past ten in the morning; she joined the celebrations and dancing, before sitting back and watching the contests between the shepherds and shepherdesses. Vigée Le Brun recorded that she was frequently moved to tears by the enchanting atmosphere of the festival.

Coincidentally, she found Madame de Staël at the festival, and joined her in the procession that followed the Bailli and his magistrates, which was joined by people from the neighboring valleys, dressed in their local costume and carrying flags representing each canton or valley.