Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun: A Portraitist of the Ancien Régime Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, born in Paris in 1755 and passing away in 1842, stands as a pivotal figure in the history of French art. More than simply a painter of portraits, she was a shrewd observer of her time, a master of social maneuvering, and an artist who navigated the complex currents of the late Ancien Régime with remarkable skill and ambition. Her life story is intertwined with the rise and fall of aristocratic patronage, offering a fascinating glimpse into the world of French high society during a period of dramatic t…