Fleeing the French Revolution

     Vigée Le Brun's relationship with the aristocracy put her at an advantage in the art world, but a disadvantage in the political world. She exhibited a clear allegiance to royalty, frequently submitting portraits of members of the royal family to the Salon. However, she was conscious of the growing animosity towards the aristocracy. In her writings, Vigée Le Brun recalls conversations and experiences saturated with anti-royalist undertones that frightened her horribly. Consequently, Vigée Le Brun fled France with her daughter in 1789 to avoid the French Revolution and the possible repercussions she could have faced for her involvement with the elite.

     Although Vigée Le Brun fled France, therefore giving up her French art network, she still found success as an artist abroad. She first lived in Rome, where she painted a self-portrait that she used to advertise her work. She formed connections with the king and queen of Naples, who Marie-Antoinette was related to, the Russian empress Catherine the Great, and the queen of Prussia. So although Vigée Le Brun fled France to escape the consequences of her upper class lifestyle, it was her elite contacts that helped her develop a successful career outside of her home country.