Alexandrine-Emilie Brongniart
- Artist: Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun
- Date: 1788 or 1789
- Medium: oil on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the Alexandrine-Emilie Brongniart by Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun. Painted in the late 18th century, this portrait shows Emilie, who was most likely eight years old at the time, engagingly as she searches inside a green silk bag containing balls of wool. Her dark curly hair frames her pale face, which shows a lively interest in our presence.
Vigée Le Brun's connection to the Brongniart family is evident here - she had already painted portraits of their older children and formed a close bond with them. This portrait showcases an image of an independent and inquiring young girl, as opposed to the sentimentalism often seen in portraits of children by Greuze.
The painting itself is done in oil on wood, giving it a rich and vibrant quality. The use of color is also notable - the green of the bag and the red of the wool subtly capture the viewer's attention. It's clear that Vigée Le Brun was an accomplished artist, capturing not just the subject but also her essence.
It's worth noting that this portrait may have been painted in 1788 or possibly as late as 1789 - a time when Vigée Le Brun herself was facing challenges due to her connection with Queen Marie-Antoinette. Despite these circumstances, she continued to paint and eventually left for Italy in October of 1789.
See it in person
Alexandrine-Emilie Brongniart hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
