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National Museum of Women in the Arts

Portrait of a Young Boy

Close up of Portrait of a Young Boy

A young boy with light skin and brown hair faces the viewer while cradling the stock of a rifle in his arms and resting the barrel on his left shoulder. He wears a delicate lace collar and is shown against a gray background with visible brushstrokes.
A young boy with light skin and brown hair faces the viewer while cradling the stock of a rifle in his arms and resting the barrel on his left shoulder. He wears a delicate lace collar and is shown against a gray background with visible brushstrokes.
Elisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun, Portrait of a Young Boy, 1817; Oil on canvas, 21 3/4 x 18 1/4 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Gift of Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay; Photo by Lee Stalsworth

Artwork Details

  • Artist

    Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun

  • Title

    Portrait of a Young Boy

  • Date

    1817

  • Medium

    Oil on canvas

  • Dimensions

    21 3/4 x 18 1/4 in.

  • Donor Credit

    Gift of Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay

  • Image Credit

    Lee Stalsworth

  • On Display

    No

The Artist, Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun

Renowned French artist Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun was Marie Antoinette's favorite painter for a decade and was elected to art academies in 10 cities.
Wearing a white, gold-trimmed head wrap and matching scarf, a light-skinned woman looks at the viewer, shown in a three-quarter pose against a dark backdrop in a portrait painting. Tousled curls of brown hair rest on her forehead and shoulders.