Born in Paris 16 April 1755, the artist Elisabeth Louise Vigée LeBrun was the court painter to Queen Marie Antoinette and fled to Naples during the French Revolution. Although she painted a considerable number of self-portraits, it is only in two of them that the artist depicted herself in the act of painting. One was commissioned by the Grand Duke of Tuscany and hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the other is this one, commissioned by Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol.
Today, this painting hangs at Ickworth and features in a new book, 100 Paintings from the Collections of the National Trust. Here, in this short film, Jane our curator, reveals what's so special about this painting.