Artwork
Portrait of Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne the Younger
Portrait of Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne the Younger is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun. It dates from 1774 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts the French sculptor Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne the Younger, a figure known for his contributions to eighteenth-century French sculpture.
The portrait depicts the French sculptor Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne the Younger, a figure known for his contributions to eighteenth-century French sculpture. Vigée Le Brun presents him in a three-quarter pose, emphasizing his professional identity rather than allegorical attributes. There is no overt symbolism or emblematic program; the painting’s meaning centers on the sitter’s status and artistic role within the Parisian cultural milieu of the 1770s.
The work was painted in 1774, the same year Lemoyne was admitted to the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture, underscoring the portrait’s function as a record of recognition within the official art establishment.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, a standard support for portraiture of the period. Vigée Le Brun’s handling emphasizes smooth, blended transitions in the face and neck, while the costume’s satin and lace are rendered with delicate, parallel hatchings to suggest texture and light. The composition is tightly framed on the sitter’s upper torso and head, with a neutral background that directs attention to the finely observed facial features and softly modeled flesh tones.
The work’s condition appears stable: the Cleveland Museum of Art’s record notes the painting as intact, with no reported structural or surface issues in its collection documentation.
History & Provenance
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun created the oil-on-canvas portrait of Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne the Younger in 1774 in France. The work measures 37.4 cm in height and 44.1 cm in width. It is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 2011.49. The painting depicts the sitter in the genre of portraiture using oil paint.
The portrait is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, located in Cleveland. The institution identifies the work with the accession number 2011.49. Created in 1774, the painting measures 37.4 cm in height and 44.1 cm in width. The provided sources do not contain information regarding specific exhibitions in which the artwork has been displayed.
Overview
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun painted this oil portrait of Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne the Younger in 1774. The work exemplifies her early career as a prominent portraitist in pre-revolutionary France, showcasing her command of the Rococo style. It captures the likeness of the sitter with a characteristic blend of elegance and psychological depth. This significant piece is held in the collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Context
Created early in her career, this painting reflects Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun's rising reputation as a sought-after portrait painter. Active in the sophisticated circles of pre-revolutionary French society, she became known for capturing the likenesses of her subjects with both grace and an engaging realism. This work demonstrates her early mastery of the genre that would define her career.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (French:; née Vigée; 16 April 1755 – 30 March 1842), also known as Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun or simply Madame Le Brun, was a French painter who mostly specialized in portrait…
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