Portrait of a Woman

"This is a story on fire-from the flames of creative passion that inspired a young woman to pursue painting, to the sparks fanned between her and a stunning supposed rival, to the bonfire that destroyed her most ambitious canvas. Born in Paris in 1749, Adâelaèide Labille-Guiard rose from shopkeeper's daughter to an official portraitist of the royal court-only to have her achievements reduced to ash by the French Revolution. While she defied societal barriers to become a member of the exclusive Acadâemie Royale and a mentor for other ambitious women painters, she left behind few writings, and her legacy was long overshadowed by celebrated portraitist and memoirist âElisabeth Vigâee-Lebrun. But Adâelaèide Labille-Guiard's story lives on. In this engaging biography, Bridget Quinn applies her insightful interpretation of art history to Labille-Guiard's life. She offers a fascinating new perspective on the artist's feminism, her sexuality, and her vision of the world. Quinn expertly blends close analyses of paintings with broader context about the era and inserts delicately fictionalized interpersonal scenes that fill the gaps in the historical record. Adâelaèide Labille-Guiard's story takes place at the dynamic intersection of art and politics; it shows the ways in which creative women have been and continue to be sabotaged and pitted against each other. But it is also a tale of solidarity, self-belief, and true passion for painting. This is a compelling and inspiring look at an artist too-long overlooked"--