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The Comtesse Du Barry in a Straw Hat
Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun French
Not on view
The countess (1743–1793), the deposed mistress of Louis XV, emerged from the lowest ranks of society to pass through Versailles on her way to the guillotine. Vigée Le Brun pays homage to her grace and charm. The artist recalled that “she had the gaze of a coquette, her elongated eyes never opening completely.” Her hat and muslin dress would soon become the height of fashion.
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