The Comtesse Du Barry in a Straw Hat
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.The countess (1743–1793), the deposed mistress of Louis XV, emerged from the lowest ranks of society to pass through Versailles on her way to the guillotine. Vigée Le Brun pays homage to her grace and charm. The artist recalled that “she had the gaze of a coquette, her elongated eyes never opening completely.” Her hat and muslin dress would soon become the height of fashion.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Comtesse Du Barry in a Straw Hat
- Artist: Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (French, Paris 1755–1842 Paris)
- Date: ca. 1781
- Medium: Oil on canvas, laid down on Isorel
- Dimensions: 33 7/8 × 26 in. (86 × 66 cm)
Frame: 38 3/16 × 30 5/16 in. (97 × 77 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Private collection
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings