#vallayer-coster

[la-catharsis]

Anne Vallayer-Coster - Bouquet of Flowers in a Terracotta Vase with Peaches and Grapes (1776)

[masterpiecedaily]

Anne Vallayer-Coster

Madame de Saint-Huberty in the Role of Dido

1785

[artschoolglasses]

Paintings by Anne Vallayer-Coster

[artschoolglasses]

Woman Artists: Anne Vallayer-Coster (1744-1818)

[masterpiecedaily]

Anne Vallayer-Coster

Attributes of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture

1769

[a-l-ancien-regime]

Anne Vallayer-Coster

Basket Of Grapes

[a-l-ancien-regime]

Study Of White Hollyhocks

Anne Vallayer-Coster ( 1744 – 1818)

[mmeguillotine]

A beautiful portrait, recently sold at Sotheby’s, of Adélaïde Genet, Madame Auguié (1758-1794), the sister of Madame Campan and one of the last femme de chambre of Marie Antoinette. This gorgeous pastel portrait is by Anne Vallayer-Coster and was probably exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1781 and later copied by Kucharski.

Madame Vigée-Lebrun, who knew both Madame Auguié and her sister, Madame Campan very well described Adélaïde thus: ‘I have known few women as beautiful and as agreeable as Madame Auguié. She was tall with an attractive figure; her face, with its complexion of peaches and cream, was fresh, and her pretty eyes shone with gentleness and kindness.’

Marie Antoinette was very fond of Adélaïde Auguié and refered to her by the nickname ‘my lioness’, in tribute to her unusual height and proud bearing. The Queen’s fondness for her femme de chambre was fully repayed on the night of 5th October 1789 when Adélaïde was one of the two ladies who kept vigil outside the Queen’s bedchamber and raised the alarm when the mob broke into the palace. It was Adélaïde Auguié who ran to the guardroom to see the blood covered guardsmen there then ran back to her mistress’ bedchamber to wake her up with the cry ‘Madame, you must get up at once!’ before helping the bewildered Queen from her bed and escaping with her down the corridor that led to the King’s apartments.