Julie Le Brun as a Bather

1792
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Here, Vigée Le Brun posed the twelve-year-old Julie as a bather. She was inspired by Porporati’s print after Santerre’s painting of a biblical story according to which Susanna, a virtuous young woman, was lusted after by two elders who hid themselves in her garden while she was bathing.

The artist demonstrates her command of academic language, expressing the vulnerability of a victim frightened at the approach of unseen intruders.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Julie Le Brun as a Bather
  • Artist: Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (French, Paris 1755–1842 Paris)
  • Date: 1792
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 28 3/4 × 21 7/8 in. (73 × 55.5 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Private collection, Courtesy of Kuno Fischer and Hildegard Fritz-Denneville
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings