Self-Portrait with Two Pupils, Mademoiselle Marie Gabrielle Capet and Mademoiselle Carreaux de Rosemond

Self-Portrait with Two Pupils, Mademoiselle Marie Gabrielle Capet (1761–1818) and Mademoiselle Carreaux de Rosemond (died 1788), 1785, Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, Oil on canvas, 83 x 59 1/2 in. (210.8 x 151.1 cm), The Metropolitan Museum of Art

ok so we all know this piece by "that one painting with the really long name"! soo here are some details on the painting and the artist.

Adélaïde Labille-Guiard was able to break into the profession during pre-revolutionary France. Her work focused on portraiture and she was quite successful. Portraiture and still-life paintings were said to be appropriate for female artists. Ok so super sexist in a way: they said it was unacceptable for women to study the male nude. Ok so, she married in 1769 but was divorced by 1776.. ok so no doubt that THAT was also frowned on by society! But HA, Labille-Guiard was able to support herself as a teacher and portrait painter even though society was being weird. :D

She set up her studio in the early 1780s and by 1783 she had 8 female students… yeah, they were ALL female. She painted members of the aristocracy and the royal court as well as MALE members of the Royal Academy. She was honored by being admitted to the Royal Academy as a member, but she was not allowed to study or teach at the institution.<-- WOW, once again just because she was a woman. Just because she was accepted doesn't mean all of the male members were happy about it.. and on top of that she was constantly gossiped about & then they even accused her of not painting her work herself!

You can see her self-confidence in this self-portrait; she is in the center of the painting, seated in her studio at work on a large canvas. Her students look on with appreciation and excitement. By dressing in an elaborate and expensive gown, Labille-Guiard represents herself as a painter and a woman of society. Her posture emphasizes her shapely figure and her gown is arranged to be shown at its best advantage. Her studio is also portrayed to be large and luxurious.. it is appointed with fine furniture as well as sculptures letting the viewer know that she was rich

We see the back of the canvas, but not what she is painting, great, just great. Art historians have three ideas about what that painting could be of: 1. it could be like another self-portrait, basically like a replica of the one that we are looking at, 2. it could be a portrait of one or maybe both of her students, or 3. there could be someone else who is having their portrait made. By including other people in her self-portrait, she demonstrates her ability to portray groups of people in one painting. This opened her commissions to patrons who might want to have family groupings immortalized. She was a clever entrepreneur: she used the painting as an advertising tool so the viewer of this painting could imagine themselves as her subject. Her direct gaze at the viewer is enticing and inviting. It’s like she’s saying: “why not let me paint YOUR portrait! Come and get your portrait painted by ME!” her way of advertising herself I guess, in the portraits she paints!
Uhmmm, I think that’s it! comment, tell me if I should add anything! Thank youuu!
-Vanisha!
p.s. you would think I’m getting tired of doing blogs on so many art pieces, but trust me, this is kind of FUN! :D ALSO, big thanks to the art group, I wouldn’t be able to understand these art pieces as much if you guys weren’t there!