Further, they long affected what may be called medium processes: pastel, water-colour, miniature, all kinds of work offering opportunity of finish and _éclat_. They showed a partiality for oil painting after the manner of the smaller Dutch masters, who had no more faithful imitators in all France. Mme. Vien, Mme. de Valsaureaux, _née_ Parrocel, and particularly Mme. Vallayer Coster--"_femme qui fut un habile homme_," according to the verses written in her honour--excelled in this style. Some of the "_Académistes_"--to use the old French expression--won real celebrity, but few there were who achieved lasting glory. In the reign of Louis XIV, the woman artist whose reputation shone with the clearest lustre was Elisabeth Sophie Chéron, who excelled in all the arts--for she was a clever painter, a consummate musician, a poet of merit and _femme d'esprit_ into the bargain. Following the general rule she belonged to one of the numerous artist families. Daughter of a painter (Louis Chéron), she was also sister of a painter. This latter, who was her junior, had talent, but not to the extent of the elder. Élisabeth Sophie Chéron was of Huguenot family, as was frequently the case among the Academicians, although, from what absurd prejudice I know not, the _réformés_ were regarded as less artistic than other folk. But in 1668,--she was twenty then--terrified no doubt by the ever-increasing persecution of the Protestants--a persecution which was soon to result in the Edict of Nantes--she, like her sister, abjured her faith, whereas her brother, remaining true to the family faith, was forced to take refuge in London, where he died.[1] [1] Several Académiciens of the reformed religion were excluded, or obliged to submit to the Catholic religion. Sophie translated into French the Psalms of David, which her brother illustrated admirably, and she has left at least one important engraved work, but above all, she has left a number of portraits of well-known people of her time, portraits that the sitters made her copy four and even five times.