Watermark: none.
Elisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun was a highly sucesssful portraitist and her skill earned her the patronage of Queen Marie-Antoinette. However, in part because of her association with the French royal court, by 1789 Vigée-Lebrun was forced to flee Revolutionary France with her young daughter Julie. During the 1790s they lived in Italy, Austria, and Russia before returning to France in 1802. Throughout her years of exile, Vigée-Lebrun maintained her artistic career and was often invited to present a self-portrait to the galleries which she visited. This likeness on blue writing paper, which probably dates from this peripatetic period, was apparently intended as such a souvenir, as indicated by the inscription at lower left: "pour souvenir de / Le Brun fecit".
Signed by the artist at lower left, "pour souvenir de / Le Brun fecit".
Adams, Frederick B., Jr. Seventh Annual Report to the Fellows of the Pierpont Morgan Library. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1957, p. 79-80.
Pierpont Morgan Library. Review of Acquisitions, 1949-1968. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1969, p. 175.
Denison, Cara D. French Drawings, 1550-1825. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1984, no. 89.
Denison, Cara D. French Master Drawings in the Pierpont Morgan Library. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1993, no. 90, repr.