One Painting, One Story: Vigée Le Brun's 'Self Portrait in a Straw Hat'

Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun is an icon. At 15 she was painting the aristocracy, in her 20s she was the favoured painter of Marie-Antoinette, and by her 30s she was fleeing the French Revolution.

Her work ‘Self Portrait in a Straw Hat’ depicts her not just as a fashionable young woman but a professional – and talented – artist.

As part of our One Painting, One Story series, art writer Lucy Davies investigates the life of a woman well-recognised for her talent, buffeted by the changing politics of 18th and 19th-century Europe. At this online Members’ event, Lucy is joined by art historian Jacqui Ansell for a rich discussion of this book and painting.

Copies of Lucy's book will be available in our National Gallery gift shops soon.

'One Painting, One Story' is a National Gallery book series that looks closely at some of our best-loved paintings. This special Members' events programme celebrates each story, with unique insights from the authors.

Supporters' House Salon series

Interested in meeting the author in-person? There are limited tickets for our exclusive Supporters' House Salon series, where each author joins art historian Aliki Braine in conversation.

Lucy Davies is a journalist and the author of several books on women artists, most recently the Edwardian painter Mabel Nicholson.

Jacqui Ansell is an experienced lecturer who has devised talks and tours based around the National Gallery’s collection for many years. She lectures on art and cultural history for the Wallace Collection, National Portrait Gallery and the Arts Society and was Senior Lecturer at Christie’s Education, writing, presenting and tutoring online courses.

A recording of this event will be made available to all ticket holders in the days following the event.

This recording will be available for two weeks.

Automatic closed captioning is available for this event.