The Prolonged Exile Of France’s Finest Artist | Portraits of Marie Antoinette Part 2

Discover the extraordinary story of the life and art of Elizabeth Vigée Lebrun, official portraitist of Queen Marie Antoinette.
Born into a family of painters in Paris in 1755, the same year as Marie Antoinette, Elizabeth was a child prodigy who began her career as a portraitst aged 14, and soon became one of the best paid painters in France. Summonned to Versailles to paint Marie Antoinette, she would go on to paint more than 40 portraits of the sovereign. However, with revolution in the air, her dangerous friendship with the Queen ultimately forced her to flee France. While professional roles for women were limited, particularly in revolutionary France, her exile would shape her into one of the most well-travelled, financially independent, and strikingly contemporary female artists of the 18th century.
Featuring interviews with world-leading Lebrun scholars and experts from the Louvre and the Château de Versailles this definitive documentary drama recreates the sumptuous interiors of 18th century France, the grandeur of royal costumes while also offering an intimate portrayal of a friendship that defined both great women: the artist, and the Queen. Elizabeth Vigée Lebrun's striking neoclassical portraits defined a genre and would go on to shape European fashion for generations to come.
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From "Portraits of Marie Antoinette"
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[@CliveNDerek]

Her memoir is a fascinating read. What astounds me is how quickly she painted and also the extraordinary amount of traveling she managed to do.

[@GloryDaze73]

History has forgotten so many wonderful and Brilliant women! I am grateful this loving documentary was made to shed light on this magnificent female artist. ❣❣❣

[@danieltorrez4993]

Always loved Elizabeth Vigée Lebrun and everything new I see from her. We are lucky enough to have a good portrait of a warm older madame by her at the Phoenix Art Musuem. Madame Victoire de France.

[@lorettabertoli3736]

I have recently seen a lovely portrait of her daughter that I didn't even know was in Parma, I town here in Italy I often visit...what a talented and inspirational woman!

[@alexandervanwyk7669]

Waau what a woman. Lived a full life. I envy her passion, pursuing her passion in what must have been very difficult times.

[@joannelord5015]

Fascinating end to a wonderful story. Thank you for making her biography available to us all

[@dicostigan1449]

Brilliant evocation of the time and a fascinating portrait of Vigee Lebrun as a painter & a woman.

[@einezcrespo2107]

Thank you so much! I love this biography of Elizabeth Vigée Lebrun.

[@kevinshepherd5331]

A much appreciated in depth look at this highly talented artist.

[@rmkpilates]

Her work was and still is beautiful. Thank you for this.

[@lorettabertoli3736]

Such an inspirational and talented woman, thanks so much for the video!

[@patriciazoerner]

Thank you so much for making this available!

[@KellyAspinall]

Epic video! Loved all the artwork…was a visually stunning experience.

[@rivers9135]

Elisabet was a genius. Able to capture beauty at will.

[@philipatoz]

Outstanding and powerfully done! And I am in love with the actress portraying her as a young painter!

[@michelelane4662]

Fascinating and beautiful video! Many thanks for sharing this precious history with us. Absolutely inspirational and superb, in my opinion!❤️🍀🌈😇🙏❣️

[@pheart2381]

Beautifully presented documentaries.

[@naurrr]

the historical costuming in this is actually pretty incredible. what a wild life.

[@robertruggiero9999]

She was undoubtedly a woman of special talent in painting with an equally special talent in using her beauty to charm powerful men.

[@yongy2000]

What a talent! What a life!

[@bettyp5669]

Thank you for sharing 😀

[@robinlillian9471]

There is nothing surprising about Marie Antoinette helping a woman in late pregnancy. She certainly knew what it was to be pregnant, and Madam Lebrun had already admitted to being unwell. Denying the truth of this minor story is just a political attempt to blacken Marie Antoinette's reputation even after all these years.

[@charcat1571]

Agreed, as if having compassion makes one a reputation for being "simple."

[@jamesallison4875]

This was wonderful. Thanks!

[@davidescozzi9885]

Brilliant painter, I also did myself a "copy" of her famous portrait.

[@CountessKitten]

Loved this!!

[@marycerrone3281]

A few years ago the Metropolitan (MET) in NYC had a special showing of her painting. I spend the day looking at these beautiful painting.

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

Excellent.

[@mares3841]

Merci

[@tatyanaparakhina6356]

20.26 - this church did not exist yet. It was built 60 or 70 years later on the spot of a tsar's assassonation. It's called the Church on the Spilled Blood.

[@dobri123123]

That was very educational for piligrim like me.

[@delenegillen539]

She knew how to live!

[@mariafleming2378]

Beautiful art wich is to be admired im not a modern admire of new abstract sounds to me of comediand stealing and defrauding galleries as old replaces modern and are all put in cellars and eventually lost

[@pennywollett3953]

Thank you're so very right ✅

[@kmaher1424]

Using "abstract" to describe recent art styles expises your ignorance. Check out the galleries in your city. Some fine things, much that will be forgotten Also, visit the museums. They are full of art from all past ages

[@fernfreeman1729]

It should have shown her lover, le Comte de Vaudreuil, he was part of her life, especially after she fled France during the French Revolution.

[@TheCrazyyashley]

Her name is misspelled in the bio... Every where else she is referred as Élisabeth.

[@NC-ij9rb]

She's so amazing. She thrived in a time where being a lady artist was practically impossible

[@vladimirkuzminpolivoks]

One big inaccuracy in the documentary: she was left-handed.

[@stevejames9531]

deleted comments

[@robertgiles9124]

Hard to shed a tear for the tone deaf Royalty and their extravagance while the people starved. Chp Chop....And then what happens? Napoleon turns himself into another Royal person and ruins the Country all over again. Damn ....those paintings of Napoleon are just awful.

[@julief634]

Just goes to show part of the french revolution had it right, to take down the monarchy. That part was definitely needed but what was not needed was to give them the death penalty and torture the children of Marie Antoinette. Not necessary and quite counterproductive since royal reign came back to France (Napoleon). They could've just robbed the wealthy to take back power so not to starve the peasants while incarcerating the royals for some years. We have evil in the USA and all of the global elites today that are much worse and definitely more deserving of a chop chop guillotine smack down than those from the french revolution of that time.

[@robertgiles9124]

@@julief634 Yeah things got carried away but then the Revolution began to eat their own...and then here comes Nappy to bring Honor and Glory and a generation dead on Battlefields and all that land in the New World sold off for peanuts. Poor France. So much suffering.

[@milliebanks7209]

One day the public is going to look at these adds and realize just how stupid they are! So dorky!

[@cyan1616]

Am I the only person to notice that she basically gave all the women in her paintings the same face?

[@airmark02]

Its too bad all that endless starvation, poverty and brutality got in the way of Elizabeth Vigee Lebrun's career. But it appears as if she was quite adept at getting on quite well despite the inconveniences.

[@kmaher1424]

She supported herself with her art and traveled widely. How is your career going? You seem bitter...

[@brandonleroux6059]

interesting but ultimately feking boring.

[@kathymcbride2425]

she couldnt paint

[@Roheryn100]

Couldn’t paint ? According to WHO ?

[@kmaher1424]

She was no Jon McNaughton

[@Roheryn100]

@@kmaher1424 Thank goodness…..😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝 McNaughton will never be hung in the Louvre.

[@charcat1571]

Always a deriding comment from one whom lacks talent...