Self-Portrait in a Straw Hat with a Plume

ca. 1783
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
One of five self-portraits by Vigée Le Brun in the exhibition, this fine drawing was discovered recently. The angled pose, lace-collared dress, broad-brimmed hat, and loose curls are typical of contemporaneous portraits of herself and others. The artist created effects of shadow by rubbing the chalk with a stump, a cylindrical tool made of soft paper, felt, or leather.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Self-Portrait in a Straw Hat with a Plume
  • Artist: Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (French, Paris 1755–1842 Paris)
  • Date: ca. 1783
  • Medium: Black chalk, stumping, and charcoal on paper
  • Dimensions: 18 7/8 × 14 1/2 in. (48 × 37 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Private collection
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings