Izabela Lubomirska 1793

Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun painted this portrait of Izabela Lubomirska in oil on canvas, sometime in the late 18th century. As a female artist working in pre-revolutionary France, Le Brun had to navigate the strictures of the French Royal Academy. While it limited the number of women it would accept, it nonetheless provided vital institutional support, including exhibition space and commissions. This painting reflects the tastes of the time, displaying the sitter’s wealth and status through her dress and the classical bust in the background. But Lubomirska's turban also reflects the fashion for exoticism then in vogue in Europe, and her relaxed pose hints at the changing social mores that would soon erupt in revolution. To fully appreciate the artwork, we need to research not only the life of the artist, but also the social history of 18th-century France and Poland, using resources such as letters, diaries, and fashion plates. Only then can we understand the complex interplay of social forces that shaped its creation and reception.