Equality in "Self Portrait with Two Pupils"

Labille-Guiard felt women should be able to paint, so she provided art lessons to girls. Additionally, due to her own experience as a merchant’s daughter, she felt that one should be able to paint regardless of their socioeconomic background.

She visualizes this belief within Self-Portrait with Two Students. One student is dressed as if she were from the upper-class, and the other is dressed in garb more suitable for the working class. This demonstrates Labille-Guiard’s belief that it does not matter where the artist comes from, so long as they are talented. Even the title of the piece suggests that identity should not deter a person from painting. In 1785, the “self” in “Self Portrait” and the “students” in “Two Students” would most likely lead the viewer to assume the painting was of a male teacher and his male students.