Madame Élisabeth de France (1764–1794)

Adélaïde Labille-Guiard French

Not on view


With limited training as a miniaturist, Adélaïde Labille embarked upon a professional career before she was twenty. Early in the 1770s she learned pastel technique from Maurice Quentin de La Tour and studied oil painting with François André Vincent (1746–1816). Having been admitted to full membership in the Académie Royale in 1783, she taught and promoted female artists. She was skilled at capturing the moods of her sitters, bringing their mobile expressions closely into view. In this study for a more formal portrait, she portrays the younger sister of Louis XVI, who eventually followed him to the guillotine. The simple costume of Madame Élisabeth (1764–1794) accords with her gentle manner.

Madame Élisabeth de France (1764–1794), Adélaïde Labille-Guiard (French, Paris 1749–1803 Paris), Pastel on blue paper, seven sheets joined, laid down on canvas

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.