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A painter in demand

It is a myth that women in the past could not have a position in society.

Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun was a French woman born in 1752. In her time, she was a much sought-after painter, especially for portraits of which she made about 700. She was therefore able to live in luxury. Even Queen Marie-Antoinette asked her for a portrait. She liked it so much that Vigée would immortalise the queen thirty more times.

Her friendship with the queen during the French Revolution was obviously not good. Élisabeth managed to flee to Italy in time. She would continue her journey along the noble and royal courts of Austria, Russia and England. It became a true triumphal procession, in which she portrayed the nobility and amassed a fortune herself.

Her work

Among her work we find many self-portraits. In one of them she shows herself to be a truly self-confident and headstrong woman: she smokes a pipe, completely not done for ladies of her standing. All her lady friends would use snuff tobacco. But, as an artist she takes that freedom and even dares to show it. Rightly so: a strong woman.

This portrait of Élisabeth Vigée will be on display in the Amsterdam Pipe Museum from March 8, 2025, International Women's Day, until early November, to inspire today's women and be an example to men.