The Memoirs of Madame Vigée LebrunVigée-Lebrun, Louise-Elisabeth
History
The Memoirs of Madame Vigée Lebrun
Vigée-Lebrun, Louise-Elisabeth
Painters -- France -- Biography; Portrait painting, French -- 18th century; Vigée-Lebrun, Louise-Elisabeth, 1755-1842
From that day to this I have travelled no more. After my return from
Bordeaux I resumed my daily habits and my work, which of all
distractions I have always found the best. Although having had the
misfortune to lose so many dear ones, I did not remain forsaken. I
have mentioned Mme. de Riviere, my niece, who, through her affection
and her ministrations, is the blessing of my life. I must also speak
of my other niece, Eugenia Lebrun, now Mme. Tripier Le Franc. Her
studies at first prevented me from seeing her as often as I should
have liked to, for since her earliest youth her disposition, her
mental qualities, and her great gift for painting had promised to be a
joy to me. I took pleasure in guiding her, in lavishing my counsels
upon her, and in watching her progress. I am well rewarded to-day,
when she has realised all my hopes by her lovely character and her
very remarkable talent for painting. She has followed the same course
as myself in the adoption of portrait painting, and is earning
success merited by fine colouring, by great sincerity, and,
particularly, by perfect resemblance. Still young, she can but add to
a reputation which in her diffidence and modesty she has scarcely
ventured to foresee. Mme. Tripier Le Franc and Mme. de Riviere have
become my daughters. They bring back all of a mother's feelings to me,
and their tender devotion spreads a beautiful charm over my existence.
It is among these two dear creatures and the friends who have been
spared me that I hope to end peacefully a wandering and even a
laborious but honest life.
THE END
APPENDIX
LIST OF MME. VIGEE LEBRUN'S PAINTINGS
[This list is as complete and accurate as the material available for
its compilation allowed. The authoress's own catalogue of her works,
which necessarily formed the principal source of information, is
itself conspicuous for errors and omissions. To rectify all of these
beyond doubt and make an absolutely perfect list would have been
impossible.]
FROM 1768 TO 1772
1 Mme. Lebrun's mother, large pastel.
1 The same, back view.
2 Mme. Lebrun's brother as a schoolboy.
1 M. Le Sevre.
3 M., Mme. and Mlle. Bandelaire.
1 M. Bandelaire, half-length pastel.
1 M. Vandergust.
1 Mlle. Pigale, milliner to the Queen.
1 Her clerk.
1 Mme. Lebrun's mother in white cloak.
1 Mme. Raffeneau.
1 Baroness d'Esthal.
2 Her two children.
1 Mme. d'Aguesseau with her dog.
1 Mme. Suzanne.
1 Countess de la Vieuville.
1 M. Mousat.
1 Mlle. Mousat.
1 Mlle. Lespare.
2 Mme. de Fossy and her son.
2 Viscount and Viscountess de la Blache.
1 Mlle. Dorion.
1 M. Tranchart.
1 Marquis de Choiseul.
1 Count de Zanicourt.
Studies of heads and copies from Raphael, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, etc.
1773
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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