Marquis de Choiseul

This portrait attributed as the Marquis de Choiseul demonstrates the breadth of Vigée Le Brun’s clientele among the French aristocracy. The Choiseul family, one of the great noble houses of France, included several prominent political and military figures during the reign of Louis XV and XVI. Vigee Le Brun was the foremost woman artist of the eighteenth century, producing over nine hundred paintings including portraits of Marie Antoinette — in whose service she gained entrance to Versailles —...

The male portrait follows established conventions for aristocratic male subjects. Vigée Le Brun’s handling shows her usual refinement in rendering costume and features with warm, flattering light.