The Marquise de Pezay and the Marquise de Rougé with Her Sons

by Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842)

About this artwork

An innovative group portrait depicting two aristocratic women with the Marquise de Rougé's young sons in a garden setting. Vigée Le Brun abandons traditional formal arrangements for a more natural, affectionate grouping that emphasizes maternal tenderness and friendship. The flowing white muslins and soft landscape background create a timeless, classical atmosphere while the figures' expressions convey genuine emotional connection. Painted just before the French Revolution, this work represents the artist's mature synthesis of aristocratic elegance with enlightenment ideals of natural sentiment and virtuous motherhood.