Santa Monica College Art History Vigee Lebrun Self Portriat Comparison Discussion
Q,1
Vigee Lebrun Self-Portriat Comparison Essay
Use the Vigee Lebrun comparison images in the module to write an approximately 250 word essy comparing her pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary portrait. After the Revolution rococo art went out of style and was associated with the vanquished former monarchy. It was no longer fashionable for men to wear colorful or ornamental clothing and make up, and woman were encouraged to be “modest”.
Cosider the following questions in your essay:
How does Vigee-Lebrun represent herself differntly in each portriat?
How does she engage the viewer in different ways?
How is the palette of each work different?
Q.2
Discussion: Post an Image of a Leader
Riguad’s portrait of Louis XIV is meant to symbolically communicate notions of absolute power. Many representations of leaders evoke power, but often other qualities are emphasized as well.
First, watch the video about Rigaud’s portriat of the French King Louis XIV:
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-history…
Choose an image of leader, and in an approximately 150-200 word essay describe how it communicates meaning about it’s subject through visual form. Make at least one comment on another students post and leader that you find inspiring or interesting.
Here is an EXAMPLE of mine:
Kehinde Wiley’s recent portrait of Barack Obama communicates the engaged political presence, thoughtful consideration of process and policy, as well as grace and elegance of the subject. Obama sits in a historic chair from the Oval Office, and leans forward as if to listen to the viewer. One imagines being at the table with one of the smartest people in the world, and being thouroughly engaged and heard. The sitter’s expression is one of calm reservation, perhaps even weariness, however. This is contrasted by the explosion of rococo style vegetation that in forms the background, and the colorful floral blooms that adorn the former president. Each type of flower has a symbolic value: the purple African Lily represents the Kenyan heritage of Obama’s father, the White Jasmine indicates that Obama grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia, and the Cyrsanthemum represents the city of Chicago, where he first became a state senator. Ultimately Wiley presents us with a portrait that presents the joy and commitment with which Barak Obama governed, combining imagery that evokes notions of both strength and grace.