Jump to content
Main menu
Main menu
move to sidebar
hide
Navigation
Main page
Recent changes
Random page
Help about MediaWiki
Special pages
Niidae Wiki
Search
Search
Appearance
Create account
Log in
Personal tools
Create account
Log in
Pages for logged out editors
learn more
Contributions
Talk
Editing
Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun
(section)
Page
Discussion
English
Read
Edit
View history
Tools
Tools
move to sidebar
hide
Actions
Read
Edit
View history
General
What links here
Related changes
Page information
Appearance
move to sidebar
hide
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
==== Italy ==== The artist arrived in [[Turin]] after crossing the Savoyard Alps. In Turin, she met the famous engraver [[Carlo Antonio Porporati|Porporati]], who was now a professor in the city's academy. Porporati and his daughter received the artist for five or six days until she resumed her journey southwards to [[Parma]], where she met the Comte de Flavigny [[:fr:Louis-Agathon de Flavigny de Renansart|[fr]]] (then minister plenipotentiary of Louis XVI) who generously accommodated her during her stay there. While staying in Parma, she sought out churches and galleries that possessed works of the old master [[Antonio da Correggio|Correggio]], whose painting [[Nativity (Correggio)|''The Manger,'' or ''Nativity'']] had captivated her when she first saw it in the Louvre. She visited the [[San Giovanni Evangelista, Parma|church of San Giovanni]] to observe the ceilings and alcoves painting by Correggio, and then the church of San Antonio. She also visited the library of Parma where she found ancient artifacts and sculptures. The Comte de Flavigny then introduced Vigée Le Brun to Marie Antoinette's older sister, the bereaved [[Infante of Spain|Infanta]] and Duchess of Parma, [[Maria Amalia, Duchess of Parma|Maria Amalia]], while she was in mourning for her recently deceased brother [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Joseph II]]. The artist regarded her as lacking in Marie Antoinette's beauty and grace, and being as pallid as a ghost, and criticized her way of life as being "like that of a man", although she praised the warm welcome the Infanta had given her. Vigée Le Brun did not stay long in Parma, wishing to cross the mountains southwards before the seasons changed. De Flavigny postponed Vigée Le Brun's departure from Parma by two days so that she and her daughter could be escorted by one of his trusted men, the Vicomte de Lespignière, whose carriage accompanied her all the way to Rome. She first arrived in [[Modena]], where she visited the local Palazzo, and saw several old master paintings by Raphael, Romano and Titian. She also visited the library and the theater there. From Modena, she departed for [[Bologna]]. The journey over the mountains was tortuous enough that she walked part of the way, and arrived in Bologna very tired. She wished to stay there at least one week to visit the local galleries and the Bologna arts school, which hosted some of the finest collections of old master paintings, but the innkeeper where she was residing had noticed her unloading her luggage, and informed her that her efforts were in vain, as French citizens were "allowed to reside in that city for only one night". Vigée Le Brun despaired at this news, and was fearful when a man clad in black arrived at the inn whom she recognized as a papal messenger, and assumed he was delivering an order to leave within the next twenty-four hours, She was surprised and elated when she realized that the missive he carried was permission for her to stay in Bologna as long as she pleased. At this juncture, Vigée Le Brun became aware that the Papal government was informed of all French travelers who entered Italy. She visited the church of Sant'Agnese, of which she wrote: <blockquote>I went immediately to the church of Sant'Agnese, where this saint's martyrdom is represented in a painting by Domenichino. The youth and innocence of Saint Agnes is so well captured on her beautiful face and the features of the torturer striking her with his sword form such a cruel contrast to her divine nature, that I was overwhelmed with pious admiration. As I knelt before the masterpiece, someone played the overture to Iphigenia on the organ. The involuntary link that I made between the young pagan victim of that story and the young Christian victim, the memory of the peaceful, happy time when I had last listened to that piece of music, and the sad thought of all the evils pressing upon my unhappy country, weighed down my heart to the point where I began to cry bitterly and to pray to God on behalf of France. Fortunately, I was alone in the church and I was able to remain there for some time, giving vent to those painful emotions which took control of my soul.</blockquote>She then visited several Palazzi, where she viewed some of the finest examples of the Bologna art school. She also visited the [[Palazzo Caprara, Bologna|Palazzo Caprara]], the Palazzo Bonfigliola, and the [[Palazzo Sampieri Talon|Palazzo Sampierei]], perusing arts and paintings by many old masters. Within three days of her arrival in Bologna, on 3 November 1789, she was received as a member of the academy and the institute of Bologna, with the academy director M. Bequetti personally delivering the letters of admission to her. Soon after, she crossed the [[Apennine Mountains|Apennines]] and arrived in the [[Tuscany|Tuscan]] countryside, and from there to [[Florence]]. The artist was initially disappointed with its position at the bottom of a wide valley, having preference for elevated views, but was soon charmed by the city's beauty. She lodged herself in a hotel recommended to her. While in Florence, she visited the famous [[Uffizi|Medici gallery]], where she saw the widely-celebrated and famous [[Venus de' Medici]] and the room of the Niobids. She then visited the [[Palazzo Pitti|Pitti palace]] where she was enamored of several paintings by old masters, including [[Raphael|Raphael's]] [[Madonna della Seggiola|''Madonna della Sedia'']], [[Titian|Titian's]] [[Portrait of Pope Paul III (Titian)|portrait of Paul III]], [[Rembrandt|Rembrandt's]] ''Portrait of a Philosopher'', [[Ludovico Carracci|Carracci's]] ''The'' ''Holy Family'' and many others''.'' She then visited the town's most beautiful landmarks, including the [[Florence Baptistery]], where she saw the Gates of Paradise by [[Lorenzo Ghiberti]], the [[Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence|Church of San Lorenzo]], and Michelangelo's mausoleum at the [[Santa Croce, Florence|Santa Croce]]. She also visited the [[Santissima Annunziata, Florence|Santissima Annunziata]], where she entered the cloister and was enthralled by [[Andrea del Sarto|Andrea del Sarto's]] ''[[Madonna del Sacco (Andrea del Sarto)|Madonna del Sacco]],'' comparing it to Raphael's paintings, but also lamented the state of neglect of the lunettes. She also visited the [[:it:Palazzo Valori-Altoviti|Palazzo Altoviti]], where she saw the self-portrait of Raphael, praising his countenance and expression as that of a "man who was obviously a keen observer of life", but also stated that the painting's protective glass had made its shadows darker. She then visited the [[Laurentian Library|Medici library]], and later a gallery containing numerous self-portraits by famous artists, where she was asked to present her own self-portrait to the collection, promised to do so as soon as she reached Rome. During her stay in Florence, Vigée Le Brun made the acquaintance of another French lady, the Marquise de Venturi, who took her on excursions along [[Arno|the Arno]]. She soon left Florence and departed for [[Rome]], arriving there in late November 1789. As she arrived in Rome, she was surprised by how filthy the famous [[Tiber]] was. She headed to the French Academy in the [[Via del Corso]] where the director of the academy, [[François-Guillaume Ménageot|M. de Ménageot]], went down to receive her. She requested lodging of him, and he quickly furnished her, her daughter and her governess a nearby apartment. He took her to see [[St. Peter's Basilica|Saint Peter's]] on the very same day, where she was underwhelmed by its size; not matching the lavish descriptions she had heard of it, although its vastness became apparent to her upon walking around the structure. She stated to de Ménageot that she would have preferred for it to be supported by columns instead of enormous pillars, to which he replied that it was originally planned as such but it was found not feasible, later showing her some of the original plans for the Basilica. She visited the [[Sistine Chapel]] later on to see [[Michelangelo]]'s much criticized ''[[The Last Judgment (Michelangelo)|The Last Judgement]]'', for which she expressed great praise, writing in a letter to the painter [[Hubert Robert]]: <blockquote>I also climbed the steps to the Sistine Chapel, to admire the ceiling with a fresco by Michelangelo as well as his painting of The Last Supper. Despite all the criticisms of this painting, I thought it a masterpiece of the first order for the expression and the boldness of the foreshortened figures. There is a sublime quality in both the composition and in the execution. As for the general air of chaos, I believe it to be totally justified by the subject matter: </blockquote>On the next day, she visited the Vatican museum; of her visit, she wrote to Robert: <blockquote>The following day I went to the Vatican Museum. There is really nothing to compare with the classical masterpieces either in shape, style or execution. The Greeks, in particular, created a complete and perfect unison between truth and beauty. Looking at their work, there is no doubt that they possessed exceptional models, or that the men and women of [[Greece]] discovered an ideal of beauty long, long ago. As yet I have made only a superficial study of the museum's contents, but the ([[Belvedere Apollo]]) ''Apollo'', the ''[[Dying Gladiator]]'', the [[Laocoön and His Sons|''Laocoon'']], the magnificent altars, the splendid candelabras, indeed all the beautiful things that I saw have left a permanent impression on my memory: </blockquote>On the same day, she was summoned by the members of the Academy of Painting, including [[Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson]]: they presented her with the palette of the greatly talented deceased painter [[Jean Germain Drouais]], In exchange, they asked her for her own palette, which she obliged.{{efn|Vigée Le Brun had been acquainted with the young Drouais back in Paris before he departed for Rome, became [[Jacques-Louis David|David's]] star pupil and met his untimely death. In her memoirs she praised his skill, writing of him as having exhibited the potential to become the French [[Raphael]] before his death.}} She later visited the [[Colosseum]], where she saw the cross placed on one of its high points by Robert. While in Rome, she was very keen to seek out the famous female painter [[Angelica Kauffman]], with whom she spent two evenings. Kauffmann showed Vigée Le Brun her gallery and sketches, and they engaged in long conversations. Vigée Le Brun praised her wit and intellect, although Vigée Le Brun found little inspirations in these evenings, citing Kaufmann's lack of enthusiasm and Vigée Le Brun's own dearth of knowledge. For the first three days of her stay in Rome, she visited the home of Cardinal [[François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis]], who was a gracious host to her. Vigée Le Brun was very sensitive to sound while sleeping; this was a lifetime burden for her, and when traveling to new locations or cities, frequent moving of lodgings was customary until she found a suitably quiet residence. Due to the racket of coachmen and horses near her apartment in the French Academy and the nightly music of the Calabrians to a nearby Madonna, she searched for other lodgings, which she found in the home of the painter [[Simon Denis]] in the [[Piazza di Spagna]], but soon afterwards left this apartment due to the nightly habits of young men and women of singing in the streets at the night. She departed and found a third home, which she carefully scrutinized, then paid one month's worth of rent in advance. On her first night there, she was awoken by a loud noise behind her bed caused by water being pumped through pipes to wash the laundry; a nightly occurrence. She quickly left this home as well to continue her search for quiet lodgings. After a painstaking search, she found a private mansion where she was told she might be able to rent an apartment. She lodged herself there but found it completely unsavory due to the filthiness of its rooms, its poor insulation and a rat infestation in the wooden paneling. Finding herself at her wit's end, she was forced to stay there for six weeks before seeking a new home suitable to her needs. She eventually found a house which seemed perfect, but she refused to pay rent until she had spent a night there; she was immediately woken up by noise caused by a worm infestation in the joists of her room. She left this house as well, later writing: "regretfully I had to abandon the idea of living there. No-one, I am sure, could have changed lodgings as often as I did during my various visits to the capital; I remain convinced that the most difficult thing to find in Rome is a place to live." Soon after her arrival in Rome, she dispatched the promised self-portrait to Florence. In this portrait, she depicted herself in the act of painting, with the Queen's face on her canvas. She made numerous copies of this portrait later on.{{efn|Later versions showing Vigée Le Brun painting her daughter instead of the Queen since she was decreasing the appearance of her royal sympathies in order to be struck from the list of émigrés.}} [[French Academy in Rome|The Rome Academy]] also requested her self-portrait, which she presented them with. She attended the [[Urbi et Orbi|pope's blessing]], delivered by [[Pope Pius IV]] during Easter Day in Saint Peter's, while in Rome. Vigée Le Brun found his features stunning, describing them as "not showing any signs of age". She worked hard during her three-year residency in Rome, painting numerous subjects including [[Anne Grenville, Baroness Grenville|Miss Pitt]],{{efn|This portrait depicted Anne as [[Hebe (mythology)|Hébé]] offering a cup of water to the eagle. A real eagle was used during the painting process, although it greatly frightened her and Miss Anne.}} [[Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol|Lord Bristol]], [[c:Category:Anna Cetner|Countess Potocka]], [[Emma, Lady Hamilton]], [[Hyacinthe-Gabrielle Roland]] and many others. She toured Rome's landmarks extensively, visiting the [[San Pietro in Vincoli]], the [[San Lorenzo fuori le mura|San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura]], the [[Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran]], and the [[Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls|San Paolo la Fuori le Mura]], which she found to be, architecturally, the most beautiful church in Rome. She also visited the [[Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome|Santa Maria della Vittoria]], where she saw [[Gian Lorenzo Bernini|Bernini's]] notorious ''[[Ecstasy of Saint Teresa]],'' writing of it "...whose scandalous expression defies description". Apart from her fellow female artist Kaufmann, Vigée Le Brun found company in the [[Aimée de Coigny|Duchesse de Fleury]], with whom she became close friends. She also found herself in the social circles of exiled French aristocracy who came to Rome, embedding herself there like most exiled French had done, instead of congregating with Italian aristocracy. She spent many evenings hosted by de Ménageot or the Prince Camille de Rohan, ambassador to [[Malta]].,{{efn|He was also Grand Commander of the [[Sovereign Military Order of Malta|Knights of Malta]]}} who hosted many other exiled French aristocrats. Many of these she attended with her close friend the Duchesse de Fleury, on whom she greatly doted. She soon found one of her oldest friends, M. d'Agincourt, who had lent her art pieces from his gallery to copy when she was very young. She had last met him fourteen years previously in Paris, before he departed from there. She also met the [[Jean-Sifrein Maury|Abbe Maury]] before he became Cardinal, who informed her that the pope wished her to paint his portrait. She was greatly flattered by the offer, but politely declined; fearing that she would fumble the portrait as she would be forced to wear a veil while painting the pope. Soon afterwards she was taken by de Ménageot, along with the painter Denis, for an excursion to Tivoli. There she visited the [[Temple of Vesta, Tivoli|Temple of the Sibyl]], and then Neptune's Grotto. De Ménageot also took her to see the [[Villa Aldobrandini]], and the ancient ruins of the Roman town of [[Tusculum]], which "evoked many sad thoughts". The entourage continued to [[Monte Cavo]], seeking out the Temple of Jupiter built there. She visited numerous villas, including the Villa Conti, the Villa Palavicina and the ruins of [[Hadrian's Villa]]. She also made frequent excursions to the summit of [[Monte Mario]] to enjoy the view it offered of the Apennines and visited the Villa Mellini there. In the summer months, she and the Duchesse de Fleury rented an apartment in the home of the painter [[Carlo Maratta]] in the [[Genazzano]] countryside. She and the Duchess toured the countryside there regularly, visiting [[Lake Nemi|Nemi]] and [[Lake Albano|Albano]] among others. One of these excursions around [[Ariccia]] caused an incident in which she and the Duchess fled for their lives from what they suspected was a rogue following them, of which she wrote: "I have never discovered whether the man who caused our exhaustion was a real villain or the most innocent man in the world". After a residency of eight months in Rome, the painter planned to follow most of French polite society as it moved to [[Naples]]. She informed Cardinal Bernis, who approved of her decision to go, but told her to not travel alone; to that end, he referred her to M. Duvivier, the husband of [[Marie Louise Mignot|Mme. Mignot]], widow of the painter Denis and [[Voltaire]]'s niece. She traveled in his spacious carriage to Naples, stopping at an inn in [[Terracina]] on the way. As she arrived in Naples she was captivated by the view of the city, the distant plumes of smoke from [[Mount Vesuvius]], the rolling hills of the countryside, and its citizens, writing "...even the people, so lively, so boisterous, so different from the people of Rome, that one would think a thousand leagues lay between the two cities". Her first residency in Naples lasted for six months, although originally planned to be six weeks. She initially lodged in [[Chiaia]], in the Hotel de Maroc. Her neighbor, the ailing Count Scavronsky, Russian Minister Plenipotentiary to Naples, sent a missive to inquire of her shortly after her arrival, and sent her a lavish dinner. She visited him and his wife, [[Yekaterina von Engelhardt|Countess Catherine Skavronskaïa]], the same night in their mansion, where she found amiable company with the couple, who invited her again on many evenings. The Count made Vigée Le Brun promise to paint his wife before anyone else in Naples, and she set to painting her [[Portrait of Countess Yekaterina Skavronskaya|portrait]] two days after her arrival. Soon afterwards, [[William Hamilton (diplomat)|Sir William Hamilton]], the English envoy extraordinary to the Kingdom of Naples, visited Vigée Le Brun while the Countess was sitting for her, requesting that the artist paint his mistress, Emma Hart, as her first portrait in the city, it being unknown to him that she had already promised Count Scavronsky that she would paint his wife. She later painted Emma Hart as a [[Maenad|bacchante]] and was captivated by her beauty and long chestnut hair. Sir William also commissioned a portrait of himself, which she completed later. The artist noticed that Sir William had a mercantile inclination towards art, frequently selling paintings and portraits he commissioned for profit. On her future visit to England, she found that he had sold her portrait of him for 300 [[Guinea (coin)|guineas]]. She also met Lord Bristol again and painted a second portrait of him. While in Naples, she also painted portraits of the Queen of Naples, [[Maria Carolina of Austria]] (sister of Marie Antoinette) and her four eldest living children: [[Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily|Maria Teresa]], [[Francis I of the Two Sicilies|Francesco]], [[Princess Luisa of Naples and Sicily|Luisa]] and [[Maria Cristina of Naples and Sicily|Maria Cristina]].<ref name="Baillio" /> She later recalled that Luisa "was extremely ugly, and pulled such faces that I was most reluctant to finish her portrait."<ref name="Memoirs" /> She visited the French ambassador to Naples, the Baron de Talleyrand,{{efn|Not to be mistaken with the more famous [[Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord|Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand]], Napoleon's patron.}} and while being hosted by him she met Mme. Silva, a Portuguese woman. Vigée Le Brun then decided to visit the island of [[Capri]] to see the palatial Roman ruins there. Her entourage included Mme Silva, the Comte de la Roche-Aymon [[:fr:Antoine Charles Étienne Paul de La Roche-Aymon|[fr]]] and the young son of Baron de Talleyrand. The voyage to the island was turbulent due to rough waters. Soon afterwards, she made multiple trips to the summit of Vesuvius. Her entourage included Mme. Silva and Abbé Bertrand on the first journey, which was hampered by severe rain. On the next day, with clear weather, she climbed the volcano again, with M. de la Chesnaye joining. The party observed the erupting volcano, with plumes of smoke and ash rising from it. Of her visit to [[Mount Vesuvius]], she wrote in a letter to the architect [[Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart]]: <blockquote>We also went up to the mountain refuge. The sun set and we watched its rays disappear behind the islands of [[Ischia]] and [[Procida]]: what a view! Eventually, night fell, and the smoke turned into flames, the most magnificent I have ever seen in my life. Great jets of fire shot up from the craters in quick succession, throwing red hot rocks noisily on all sides. At the same time a cascade of fire ran down front the summit, covering an area of four to five miles. Another lower mouth of the volcano was also alight; this crater churned out a red and gold smoke, rounding off the frightening but wonderful spectacle. The thunderous noise that seemed to come from deep inside the volcano echoed around us, and the ground shook beneath our feet. I was quite frightened, but tried to hide my fear for the sake of my poor little daughter who was crying, "Maman, should I be afraid?". But there was so much to admire that I soon forgot my fear. Imagine looking down over countless furnaces, whole fields swallowed by the blaze that followed in the wake of the lava. I saw bushes, trees, vines, consumed by this terrible rolling fire; I saw the fire rise up and die out, and I heard it eat its way through the surrounding undergrowth. This powerful scene of destruction is both painful and impressive, and stirs deep feelings within one's soul; I could not speak for a while on my return to Naples; on the road, I kept turning around to see the sparks and that river of fire once more. I was sad to leave such a spectacle; but I have the memory still, and every day I think on different aspects of what I saw. I have four drawings which I shall bring to Paris to show you. Two have already been mounted; we are very happy here.</blockquote>She returned to the volcano several times, visiting it with the painter [[Guillaume Guillon-Lethière|Lethière]], former director of the French Academy of Painting in Rome. Soon afterwards, she was invited by Sir William to visit the Islands of Ischia and Procida. This voyage included his mistress Emma Hart and her mother. Vigée Le Brun was instantly mesmerized by the island and its inhabitants, writing of its women "I was instantly struck by the beauty of the women we encountered on the road. They were nearly all tall and statuesque, their costume as well as their build reminding me of the ancient women of Greece". The party departed from Procida on the same way, bound for Ischia. They arrived there in the late evening. On the next day, they were taken by General Baron de Salis with a party of twenty to visit the summit of Monte San Nicola. The journey was perilous, and Vigée Le Brun was separated from the party due to dense fog, but soon afterwards found her way to the refuge at the summit of the mountain. After returning to Naples, the artist visited the ancient ruins of [[Paestum]], [[Herculaneum]], [[Pompeii]] and the [[Royal Palace of Portici|museum at Portici]]. Shortly before the new year, she moved to another home due to problems with her previous residence. It was there that she also met the famous composer [[Giovanni Paisiello]] and painted his portrait while he was in the process of composition. She frequented Mount Posillipo during her stay in [[Naples]], including the ancient ruins there and [[Virgil's tomb|Virgil's grave]], and it became one of her favorite landmarks. She returned to Rome afterwards, just in time to find the Queen of Naples arriving from her visit to Austria. The Queen espied the artist in a large crowd, went to her and impressed her to return to Naples to paint her portrait; Le Brun agreed to the prospect. Upon her return to Naples, she was taken by Sir William to the widely popular local festival of Madonna di Piedigrotta, the festival of Madonna dell'Arco. She also visited the [[Solfatara (volcano)|Solfatara]] volcano with M. Amaury Duval and Sacaut. While in Naples, the artist was also fascinated by the local culture of the [[Lazzaroni (Naples)|Lazzaroni]]. Upon finishing her portrait of the Queen, she was offered her summerhouse near the coast to entice her to spend more time in Naples, but Le Brun insisted on leaving. Before departing, the Queen gave her a luxurious lacquered box containing her monogram surrounded by fine gems. She returned to Rome once again, undertaking many commissions there, including those of Louis XVI's aunts, mesdames [[Victoire of France|Victoire]] and [[Adélaïde of France|Adélaïde]]. She left Rome on 14 April 1792 for Venice, writing later that she wept bitterly as she left Rome, having grown very attached to that city. She was accompanied by M. [[:fr:Auguste Louis Jean-Baptiste Rivière|Auguste Rivière]], occasional diplomat and painter and the brother of Le Brun's sister-in-law.{{efn|He was related to her by his sister's marriage to Etienne. Not to be mistaken with the marquis de Rivière, another friend of Vigée Le Brun.}} He would be the artist's travelling companion for 9 years, often copying her portraits. Le Brun spent the first night on the road at [[Civita Castellana]], then continued her journey through precipitous and craggy roads, describing the landscape there as gloomy and 'the saddest in the world'. She then arrived in [[Narni]], where she was charmed by the countryside. From there she continued on to [[Terni]] where she toured the countryside and hiked up local mountains. She resumed her journey over [[:it:Valico della Somma|Monte Somma across the Apennines]] then to Spoleto. In this town, she witnessed Raphael's partially completed Adoration of the Magi, from which she gained valuable information on his painting techniques, observing that he painted hands and faces first, and experimented frequently with different tints during the early drafting process. While in Spoleto she also visited the Temple of Concord in the mountains,{{efn|It appears that she is referring to the 6th-century church known as the [[Temple of Clitumnus]]}} and the ruins of the ancient town there. She continued to Venice, passing [[Treviso|Trevi]], Cetri and [[Foligno]]. In the latter town she found Raphael's ''[[Madonna of Foligno|Madonna di Foligno]],'' which gained the complete admiration of Le Brun. She continued to [[Perugia]], passing by [[Lake Trasimeno|Lake Trasimene]] and hen on to Lise, Combuccia, [[Arezzo]], Levana and Pietre-Fonte, finally arriving in Florence, where she had resided for a short while after her flight from France. Upon her arrival in Florence, she had a memorable meeting with the Abbé [[Felice Fontana]], then a renowned anatomist. Fontana showed Le Brun his study, filled with wax figures of human organs. The intricacy of the details on some of the replicas had made the artist feel that only divine power could have created the human body. Fontana then showed Le Brun a life-sized figure of a human female, with an exposed cutaway of the intestines. Vigée Le Brun was nearly sick at this sight, and was haunted by it for a long time, later writing to Fontana for advice on relieving herself from the stress and consequences of having seen the internal anatomy of the human body, to which he replied to her; "''That which you describe as a weakness and a misfortune, is in fact the source of your strength and talent; moreover, if you wish to diminish the inconvenience caused by this sensitivity, then stop painting''". After departing Florence she travelled to [[Siena]] where she remained for a few days, excursing frequently in its countryside and visiting local churches and galleries. From Siena she left for Parma, where she was welcomed as a member of the [[Academy of Fine Arts of Parma]], and donated a portrait of her daughter. During her stay there, she was visited by a small group of art students from the academy who wished to acquaint themselves with her work: <blockquote>I was told that there were seven or eight art students downstairs who wished to see me. They were ushered into the room where I had placed my ''Sibyl'' and a few minutes later I went to receive them. Having spoken of their desire to meet me, they continued by saying that they would very much like to see one of my paintings. "Here is one I have recently completed", I replied, pointing to the ''Sibyl''. At first their surprise held them silent: I considered this far more flattering than the most fulsome praise: several then said that they had thought the painting the work of one of the masters of their school: one actually threw himself at my feet, his eyes full of tears. I was even more moved, even more delighted with their admiration since the ''Sibyl'' had always been one of my favourite works. </blockquote>After a few days in Parma, during which she revisited numerous churches and local landmarks & galleries, she finally departed Parma in July 1792, visiting Mantua on her way to Venice. In Mantua she visited the [[Mantua Cathedral|local Cathedral]], the [[Ducal Palace, Mantua|ducal palace]], the house of [[Giulio Romano (painter)|Giulio Romano]], the [[Basilica of Sant'Andrea, Mantua|Church of Sant'Andrea]], the [[Palazzo del Te]] and numerous other local landmarks. She arrived in Venice on the eve of Ascension day. She was surprised by the city's partially submerged aspect, and it was some time before she became accustomed to the modes of transportation in the city's canals. She was received by M. Denon, a fellow artist whom she knew from Paris, who acted as her [[cicerone]], touring the city's landmarks with her. She subsequently witnessed the [[Marriage of the Sea ceremony|marriage of Venice and the Sea ceremony]]. During the celebrations, she met the [[Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex|Prince Augustus of England]], and the [[Marie Thérèse de Choiseul|Princess de Monaco]], whom she found to have been pining to return to France to see her children; this was to be her last meeting with the princess, who had been later executed during [[Reign of Terror]]. While in [[Venice]], she visited the churches of [[Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice|Santi Giovanni e Paolo]], the [[St Mark's Basilica|Church of Saint Mark]] and the [[Piazza San Marco]], and the local cemetery. While residing in Venice, she often engaged the company of the Spanish ambassadress, with whom she attended [[Gaspare Pacchierotti]] last concert. She soon departed Venice for [[Milan]], stopping at [[Vicenza]], touring its palaces and landmarks, where she was also received lavishly. She then visited [[Padua]], where she visited [[Church of the Eremitani]], praising the church's frescos that were made by [[Andrea Mantegna]], and also visited the [[Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua|Basilica del Santo]] and the [[Padua Baptistery|church of Saint John the Baptist]]. After departing Padua, she visited [[Verona]], where she spent a week, touring the [[Verona Arena|ruins of the Amphitheatre]], the [[San Giorgio in Braida, Verona|San Giorgio in Braida]], the [[Sant'Anastasia, Verona|Church of Sant'Anastasia]] and the [[Basilica of San Zeno, Verona|Church of San Zeno]]. After spending a week in Verona she left the city, hoping to return to France by way of [[Turin]]. In Turin she referred herself to the [[Clotilde of France|Queen of Sardinia]], having been given letters of introduction by her aunts, the Mesdames of France whom she had painted in Rome; requesting the artist to paint their niece on her way to France. When she presented this to the bereaved Queen, she politely refused the request, stating that she has given up all worldly matters and had taken up an austere life, which the painter had confirmed from the Queen's disheveled appearance. She also made acquaintance of [[Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia|her husband, the King of Sardinia]], while visiting the Queen, finding that had become increasingly reclusive and very thin, and delegated most of his duties to the Queen. After meeting the Queen of Sardinia, Le Brun visited Madame, the wife of the [[Louis XVIII|Comte de Provence]], future king Louis XVIII (future queen of France in-exile). She excursed frequently to the countryside with her and her lady in waiting, [[Marguerite de Gourbillon]]. She soon met the engraver Porporati again, who recommended her to lodge in a quiet inn in the countryside, she travelled there and was greatly pleased by the quietude and charming views it offered. not long afterwards Vigée Le Brun received news of the [[Insurrection of 10 August 1792|storming of the Tuileries of 10 August]]. Beset with despair, she set back for Turin, where she found the town filled with French refugees as turmoil intensified during the French Revolution, setting a cruel spectacle for the artist. She subsequently rented a small home on the [[Moncalieri|Moncalieri hillside]], overlooking the [[Po (river)|Po river]] with M. de Rivière, who had arrived recently and narrowly escaped revolutionary violence as it swept the countryside, in solitude. Soon after she was frequently visited there by the Prince [[Nikolay Yusupov]]. She soon decided to leave for Milan, but not before repaying the kindness Porporati had extended to her by painting his daughter's portrait, with which he was greatly pleased and made several engravings of the painting, sending several of them to Le Brun. During her stay in Venice she lost yet another fortune, amounting to 35,000 francs, most of which she had accumulated from her commissions in Italy - which she had deposited in the bank of Venice, when [[Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars|French troops, campaigning]] under the command of the rising general [[Napoleon|Napoleon Buonaparte]], captured the city shortly after she had left it. Le Brun had been repeatedly warned by M. Sacaut, the embassy secretary, to withdraw her money from the bank, foreseeing that French Republican troops might attack the city. The artist dismissed his warnings as "a republic would never attack another republic"; nevertheless Napoleon later issued an ultimatum to the city to submit, and French troops entered the city. As Venice was looted, General Buonaparte had instructed the banker to spare Le Brun's deposit and afford her an annuity, but the orders were not carried out in the chaotic predicament of the city, and all that reached Vigée Le Brun were two hundred and fifty francs out of an original deposit of 40,000. During her travels in Italy, her name was added to the list of émigrés, losing her French citizenship and having her property scheduled for confiscation. M. Le Brun attempted to have his wife's name struck from the list of émigrés at this juncture by appealing to the [[Legislative Assembly (France)|Assemblée législative]] to no avail, and he along with Étienne, Vigée Le Brun's brother, were both briefly incarcerated in 1793, shortly before the terror began. Soon after, M. Le Brun attempted to protect himself and their properties from confiscation and began suing for divorce from his wife. The decree of divorce was issued on 3 June 1793. Halfway through her journey to [[Milan]], she was detained for two days due to her nationality. She sent a letter to Count Wilsheck, the Austrian ambassador in the town, who secured her release. The count convinced Vigée Le Brun to travel to [[Vienna]], and she decided to go there after her visit to Milan. The artist received a warm welcome in Milan, with many young men and women from noble families serenading her outside her window, which persuaded the artist to extend her stay in Milan by a few days. It was during this time that she visited the [[Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan|Santa Maria delle Grazie]] and saw [[Leonardo da Vinci|Leonardo Da Vinci's]] famous ''[[Last Supper]].'' Writing of it: <blockquote>I visited the refectory of the monastery known as Santa Maria delle Grazie with its famous Last Supper fresco by Leonardo da Vinci. It is one of the great masterpieces of the Italian school: yet in admiring this nobly portrayed Christ and all the other characters painted with such truth and such feeling, I groaned to see the extent to which this superb painting had been defaced: to begin with it had been covered with plaster, and then repainted in several parts. Nevertheless it was possible to judge what this beautiful work had been like prior to these disasters. for the effect, when viewed from a little distance, was still admirable. Since then I have learnt of a completely different cause of its poor condition. I was told that during the wars with Bonaparte in Italy, the soldiers would amuse themselves by firing musket balls at Leonardo's Last Supper! May these Barbarians be cursed! </blockquote> She also saw various cartoons of Raphael's [[The School of Athens|''School of Athens'']], and various other drawings and sketches by Raphael, Da Vinci and numerous other artists at the [[Biblioteca Ambrosiana]]. She visited the Madonna del Monte, enjoying its commanding view, and sketched the countryside frequently. She later visited [[Lake Maggiore]] and resided on one of the two islands in the lake, the [[Isola Bella (Lago Maggiore)|Isola Bella]], being granted permission by the Prince Borromeo to lodge on the estate there. She soon attempted to visit the other isle, [[Isola Madre]], but stormy weather affected her journey and she returned. It was during this period that she met the Countess Bistri, who would become one of her close friends. She informed the countess of her desire to travel to Vienna, and the countess replied that she and her husband were travelling there soon. Wishing to accompany the artist on her travel, the count and countess brought forward their date of departure to accomplish this. Vigée Le Brun praised the great care they took of her, and she finally left Milan for [[Austria]]. Vigée Le Brun would later describe Milan as being very similar to Paris. While in Italy, Vigée Le Brun was elected to the Academy in [[Parma]] (1789) and the [[Accademia di San Luca]] in Rome (1790).<ref name="Baillio" /> Vigée Le Brun also painted [[Allegory|allegorical]] portraits of [[Emma, Lady Hamilton|Emma Hamilton]] as [[Ariadne]] (1790) and as a [[Maenad|Bacchante]] (1792). Lady Hamilton was similarly the model for Vigée Le Brun's ''Sibyl'' (1792), which was inspired by the painted [[sibyl]]s of [[Domenichino]].<ref name="Sheriff" /><ref name="Baillio2">{{Cite book |title=The Arts of France from François Ier to Napoléon Ier |editor-last=Baillio |editor-first=Joseph |publisher=Wildenstein |location=New York |year=2005 |pages=325–329}}</ref> The painting represents the [[Cumaean Sibyl]], as indicated by the Greek inscription on the figure's scroll, which is taken from [[Virgil]]'s fourth [[Eclogues|Eclogue]].<ref name="Hottle">{{Cite journal |title=More Than 'a preposterous neo-classic rehash': Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun's ''Sibyl'' and its Virgilian Connotations |last=Hottle |first=Andrew D. |journal=Aurora: The Journal of the History of Art |volume=11 |year=2010 |pages=120–146}}</ref> The ''Sibyl'' was Vigée Le Brun's favorite work;<ref name="Baillio" /> it is mentioned in her [[memoir]] more than any other work.<ref name="Sheriff" /><ref name="Baillio" /> She displayed it while in [[Venice]] (1792), [[Vienna]] (1792), [[Dresden]] (1794) and [[Saint Petersburg]] (1795); she also sent it to be shown at the Salon of 1798.<ref name="Memoirs" /><ref name="Baillio2" /> It was perhaps her most successful painting and had always garnered the most praise and attracted many viewers wherever it was displayed. Like her reception piece, ''Peace Bringing Back Abundance'', Vigée Le Brun regarded her ''Sibyl'' as a [[history painting]], the most elevated category in the Académie's hierarchy.<ref name="Hottle" />
Summary:
Please note that all contributions to Niidae Wiki may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see
Encyclopedia:Copyrights
for details).
Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Search
Search
Editing
Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun
(section)
Add topic