Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun: Portrait of Élisabeth of France (1782)

(Palace of Versailles, Versailles, France)

A painting by the French artist Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842). Élisabeth of France (1764 – 1794) was the youngest daughter of Louis, Dauphin of France (son of king Louis XV of France) and Marie-Josèphe of Saxony. During the reign of king Louis XVI of France (her brother) she had her own household but never married. She did not play any royal role prior to the French revolution and regarded the royal French court as decadent and a threat to her moral welfare, and acted to distance herself from it. She was interested in politics and was a staunch supporter of the absolute monarchy. During the French revolution she refused to leave the side of Louis XVI and stayed with the royal family when they were forced to live in Paris. During the reign of terror (June 1793 and the end of July 1794) she was sentenced to death by the French Revolutionary Tribunal during a show trial and executed along with the 23 men and women on 10 May 1794 at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. As Élisabeth was popular her execution brought much anger amongst the people who regarded her innocent. Although her political views were conservative she was much praised for her charitable nature, familial devotion and devout Catholic faith. Élisabeth of France is regarded by the Roman Catholic Church as a martyr and is venerated as a Servant of God. Painting from 1782.