Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun was born in Paris on April 16,1755. to Louis and Jeanne Vigee. Louis Vigee was a portraitist and Jeanne Vigee was a former hairdresser. Her father was a very successful artist, therefore encouraged his daughter's interest in art. When she was a teenager, she began to attract wealthy clients who wanted to paint their portraits. She also had a professional exposure through encouragement from various famous painters.
She used loose brushwork and fresh, bright colors. Through this unique technique of her's, she captured her customers picture in a graceful manner, in their very stylish clothes.
In 1779, she got the chance to go to the royal residence of Marie Antoinette in Versailles to paint her first portrait. Later on, she became the queen's favorite portraitist and gave her the chance to paint the queen for a total of thirty times. Because the queen had a interest on Elisabeth's career, her acceptance to Academie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, which was one of the most prestigious professional association for artists in France. They only accepted very few female artists.
Her husband died in 1813 and her daughter in 1819. She died at her Paris residence on March 30, 1842. She was one of the leading painters of her age and one of the most successful women artists in history (" Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun biography").