Interview

1. What in your early life triggered your passion in the arts?

A: I became very interested in the arts at a very young age. Passionate about miniatures, pastels, and oil paintings, I desperately tried to improve my artwork. I had dreams of becoming a professional! A lot of skillful women painters came from families of artists or other more artistic jobs- my father was a shopkeeper. Father had many trendy designs and colors to study from in his store, and they were absolutely gorgeous! (Auricchio)
     Although studying the clothes in the boutique was a very useful skill to sharpen my eyes to detail, this didn’t did do much to progress my art. If I ever wanted my art to be good enough to get into the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, I needed a teacher. There weren’t many teachers around me at the time, but I wasn’t ready to give up on my dream of being a better artist! I was so desperate I went and sought training from my neighbors! –laughs- (Auricchio)

2. What role did your teachers play in developing your talents as an artist?

A: Oh my, my teachers played a major role in helping me improve! Without them I don’t think I’ve ever would’ve become as magnifique an artist I am now. When I was a teenager I began my education under a family friend, François-Elie Vincent. He was a fantastique oil painting artist with many acquaintances. Elie was so kind enough to get my art displayed at the Académie de Saint-Luc! I am grateful for this because at an exhibit more people would be able to view my art (Solacini).
    Then in 1769, I got married and started training under a pastel artist named Maurice Quentin de la Tour. He was an expert at his work and I very much enjoyed honing my skills with his teaching. Unfortunately, in 1774 Tour married and my apprenticeship under him ended. Even though this seemed like a setback, I met a charming man in 1777, François-André Vincent, the eldest son of my first teacher. During this time I split up with my husband, but I was still determined to keep growing my knowledge of pastels and miniatures with André (Solacini).

3. What was the world of art like in your particular field when you entered it?

A: The art field in my time was quite complicated—at least for females. Men could easily display their work and rise up in the art society because they were able to attend art schools. Women weren’t given a choice to go to school. Men believed that girls wouldn’t be able to follow instructions like boys could. Ridicule! Society also had this rule that women weren’t allowed to be taught under masters, who were mostly male. Females would speak out about this injustice daily but in the end we were only ridiculed for having silly ideas (Auricchio, Ellis and Elser).
     Artists were also starting to develop the rococo style. They were making paintings that were much more elegant and personal. Some found it much more enjoyable to paint scenes filled with happy people, extravagant flowers, and beautiful settings. An even better note, artists such as me got commissions from everyday people! It turns out they just wanted to be drawn with out all their fancy clothes and shown as simple realistic civilians (Ellis and Elser).

4. How did the major cultural, economic and political situations of the time impact your work?

A: There were many things at the time that impacted my paintings. One was me being a supporter of the French Revolution. I would participate in many Salons around Paris, France, bringing my paintings to show to intellectuals that enjoyed having animated discussions about the Enlightenment. In one of my paintings, Self-Portrait with Two Pupils, I pictured myself with an arrogant look-unlike regular women- who were much softer in appearance. I tested the political boundaries of women in society. I dared for more rights. Most of all the two pupils in the portrait show that women should be able to learn how to make art like men. This work of art established me as a painter (Aurrichio, Solacini, Ost).
    Another inspiration was a cultural work of art displayed at the Salon de la Correspondance. Head of Cleopatra in the style of Guido Reni was one of the most gorgeous paintings I’ve ever seen in my life. Guido Reni helped me get an early interest in history painting. The economy was also great enough for people to request commissioned portraits from me. Doing commissions for people helped me earn quite some cash (Auricchio, Solacini).

5. What were your major accomplishments and methods you used in your art?

A: When I painted myself in a brilliant blue dress with a smug expression on my face in Self-Portrait with Two Pupils, I stressed a lot of society norms about women. The painting was basically an innuendo saying women were just as amazing-or maybe even better- than men and we deserved to have a much greater social status. My boldness and creativity handed me attention on a plate. Good attention, mind you! –laughs- Most importantly I earned the praise and commissions of Madame Adelaide, the aunt of Louis XVI, and her relatives (Solacini).
     Since I was encouraged to create masterpieces and had a willingness to learn, I did my best to progress my paintings. My earlier works were quite mediocre and not worth presenting, at least to me they weren’t. One of the methods I used to get better was opening my eyes and making them more delicate to detail and textures. I also practiced drawing objects in the exact spaces they should be. It was with these combined techniques that I was on the road to creating a cream of the crop art piece (Solacini).

6. What key opportunities did you have that led to turning points in your life and art?

A: Bonté! One of my many opportunities was being accepted into the Académie de Saint-Luc! This is amazing because not many women were accepted to learn art from male experts. As I said before, a lot of people just thought that girls couldn’t comprehend rules as well as the boys. When I was admitted into this Academy, I had the honor to be taught by specialists who knew how to paint. At this school I could work professionally (Passez, Potralis, Woman and Art, and Callieux).
     Being discovered by Madame Adelaide and her relatives was also an excellent event! I gained a pension of 1,000 livres. Then I started to receive commission portraits from some of the richest figures in society, they paid me a lot too!-laughs- Receiving favorable feedback on my submission art to get into the Academy only boosted my confidence to become a better artist. On an extra note, being taught by François-Elie Vincent at an early age gave me many connections to people and more time to practice my skills at oil painting. François-André Vincent led some of his friends from the Royal Academy to view my artwork, I became nationally known, and thus quickly fastened my way into the Royal Academy. I am truly grateful for their help! (Solacini)

7. What personal choices did you make to become more successful?

A: Divorcing that imbecile Nicolas Guiard helped me a lot. I don’t think he was for me because after I separated from him, I devoted part of my life to teaching, earning a good sum of money. I was doing better without him! Much later I married my first teacher’s eldest son, François-André Vincent, who was also one of my teachers. I was much happier and I earned more in this relationship because André was a master at painting and I could learn happily with him (Passez, Potralis, Woman and Art, and Callieux).
     Another choice is that I gambled with was if I should send Self-Portrait with Two Sisters to be exhibited at Paris Salon. The painting was making such a bold statement for women’s rights and women’s right was such a controversial subject to talk about at the time. I took a chance and displayed my artwork at the salon and I was not disappointed with the results. Instead of hiding in fear and being ridiculed, I was actually praised by great critics. The best part, some said my artwork was even better than my greatest competition, Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun, who the painting’s style was originally inspired by. How ironique!-laughs- (Aurrichio, Auricchio, Passez, Potralis, Women and Art, and Callieux)

8. What roadblocks did you have to overcome in order to be an artist?

A: Being a lady I was excluded from receiving the same arts’ education as the boys. I either had to learn by myself or I had to find a male teacher that would be willing to teach a female student. Thankfully, a good friend of my family, François-Elie Vincent, was more than happy to teach me how to use oil painting. Instead of constantly badgering my neighbors, who had to of been quite sick of me by then, I had a real mentor to guide my progress. He helped me display my art in salons in attempts to get me noticed by others, but my art just wasn’t that good enough to be appreciated at the time (Passez, Potralis, Women and Art, and Callieux).
     Since my art was not that fantastic when I was younger, I was not that popular. Men could easily show off their skills in academy schools and become well known. Women didn’t have great choices but to show their art in exhibitions, small galleries, contests (in which one could only hope to win), or paint something so arguable to get attention. In 1774, Elie told me to display one of my small miniature pastel pieces at the Académie de Saint-Luc’s Salon in an attempt to get art noticed. This show was so successful that the Royal Academy went into action and issued an edict on March 1776, to close Académie de Saint-Luc. I had no where to showcase my art, except at the Salon de la Correspondance, which charged a small fee for those who were not in the Royal Academy (Aurrichio, Passez, Potralis, Women and Art, and Callieux).

9. What kinds of limitations did you run into as both an artist and as a person?

A: After my first exhibition at Académie de Saint-Luc’s Salon, my work was beginning to be compared to that of Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun. At first I ignored this and just assumed it was a bunch of propaganda to veer me off my work. Then in 1783, when the Royal Academy was only accepting four female students, I with them, and with the other three, Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun was among them! What an amazing coincidence this was for us to be accepted into the Academy on the very same day. Unfortunately, women being accepted into the Academy on the same day encourage critics to size us up to one another. Vigée-Lebrun’s art was often more favored and I was usually completely ignored. My frustration of being overshadowed by her inspired me to create Self-Portrait with Two Sisters. After I gained fame from that piece, I was known to be just as good an artist as Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun was (Solacini, Passez, Potralis, Women and Art, and Callieux).
     After I was successfully commissioned by Louis XVI’s aunt, Marie Adelaide, Louis XVI’s brother commissioned me to do a portrait of him. He wanted me to paint him at the center of a large historical work! If I succeeded I would be able to land myself as a history painter. The portrait was called Reception of a Chevalier de Saint-Lazare by Monsieur, Grand Master of the Order. Because of the royal connections I with Louis VXI’s family I became a suspect in the French Revolution after Louis was taken to the guillotine. I was forced to destroy the large unfinished painting I worked on for years, commissioned by Louis’ brother, in a public bonfire. Ridicule! I was so distressed by this I didn’t submit any artwork to the Salon of 1793 and I stopped painting for a long time (Aurrichio, Solacini, Passez, Potralis, Women and Art, and Callieux).

10. What personal stories best tell how you became successful in the arts?

A: While being accepted into the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture with Elisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun we had a nice welcome. Some called us rivals, and others believe the rivalry was just made up by men artists because they were scared of the female competition. Another warm welcome was a pamphlet going around by an anonymous writer insulting Elisabeth, I, and many others. I was accused of having many affairs and lovers, one of my incidents being with François-André Vincent. These rumors were false of course and humoring I may add, because I did get married to André later in my life. They were common accusations among women who split up from their husbands like I had. This rumor only spread my name around the Academy gaining me more fame (Passez, Potralis, Women and Art, and Callieux).
    Then French Revolution intensified in 1789 the Academy was thinking of how to restore the nation. I wanted more women to be accepted into the Academy instead of just four all the time. So in the 1790s I remember campaigning for the Academy to be opened to a greater amount of females. Two groups, traditionalists and antagonists, I tried to compromise with, argued and couldn’t agree with anything the other had to say. They did come to terms on one thing though: there shouldn’t be many women allowed at the Academy. Only the third group of people open-mindedly took in my suggestion for more women. In the end, no women were to be submitted to the Academy. I do admit I was heartbroken they had come to that decision but I didn’t give up on trying to help others and myself become a better artist. Determination to be better and stronger was one of my admirable characteristics others could see in me, that would help me become of the most successful artists of my time (Aurrichio).