Sentimental Poses in the Souvenirs of Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun

Abstract

In this article, parallels are found between the painting and the writing of Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun, notably in her cultivation of expression and reverie. In the artist's memoirs, the Souvenirs, a number of «tableaux» can be found which feature a lone female figure in a pose of emotion or reflection. These «tableaux» contain dense networks of artistic, literary, dramatic and musical allusion. Two such examples are discussed: the first takes place in a church in Bologna, in which Vigee Le Brun's joyous contemplation of an altarpiece by Domenichino gives way to feelings of loss and exile; the second occurs during a boat ride on Lake Geneva, when the artist's experience of the Swiss landscape is intensified through her evocation of Rousseau. These moments of abandonment are not just indulgent lapses; instead they are a vital part of the creative process. In some ways the motif of the sentimental female functions as a poetic mask for real-life tribulation. But equally, Vigee Le Brun uses it to elevate her art, consciously rivalling with male artists and writers.