Portrait of Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne the Younger

Portrait of Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne the Younger by Elisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun: This signed portrait reinterprets a well-known pastel by Maurice-Quentin de La Tour of the…

What to notice

In Portrait of Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne the Younger, start with classical, portrait, figurative. Then look closely at this museum-described detail: The sculptor, seen toward the end of his life, appears in working garb.

Discover

This signed portrait reinterprets a well-known pastel by Maurice-Quentin de La Tour of the important French sculptor Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne the younger (1704–1778). The sculptor, seen toward the end of his life, appears in working garb. His close-cropped grey hair, frank, observant stare, and bemused smile all demonstrate the closeness of the young painter to the elder sculptor.