Julie Le Brun Looking in a Mirror by Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (Interpretation and Analysis)

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Julie Le Brun Looking in a Mirror by Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun
Julie Le Brun Looking in a Mirror
Source: MET Museum
Yesterday, we discussed the portrait of a young child, Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga. Portraits of children are common in the history of Western art, but they vary significantly based on time and place. Today, I want to introduce another child portrait, Julie Le Brun Looking in a Mirror.

This image, which was painted by the child’s mother—a court artist who was famous for her portraits of Marie Antoinette—dates from around the same time as Goya’s painting of Manuel. However, it is very different in style. The artist, Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, resided in France, a nation that was far more progressive than Goya’s Spain in terms of political and social ideas. The Enlightenment—a progressive movement that began in France—began to reimagine childhood in the eighteenth century. Gradually, an understanding developed that childhood was a distinct part of life and that children had unique developmental and emotional needs, as opposed to viewing children as mini adults.

So, while Goya’s painting of young Manuel is stiff and formal, Le Brun’s painting of her daughter captures a more naturalistic, relaxed image of childhood. Here, six-year-old Julie Le Brun studies her own reflection in a mirror, a scene that reflects Julie’s growing sense of self awareness and curiosity as she matures. The painting also presents a more realistic image of everyday life. Julie’s clothes and posture are casual, unlike Goya’s more formal portrait. However, these differences have more to do with the differing social statuses of the two children than anything else.

The MET also notes that the painting is a touching reminder of the relationship between the artist and her child, noting, “...the portraitist ingeniously presents the child in both profile and full face. Drawing on the bond between them, she captures Julie’s serious, intimate gaze.”

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.

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