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Historical Artist - Marie-Guillemine Benoist (1768 - 1826)
Daughter of a government official, Marie-Guillemine Benoist was taught by Vigee-Lebrun
beginning in 1791. He convinced her to execute her portraits in pastels. However after studying
under Jacques-Louis David, she began to use oils to depict her sitters and landscapes. After an
exhibition at the Salon, Benoist’s reputation increased and she received an annual
government grant and commissions from Napoleon. Later in her career, she began to paint domestic
scenes that were also highly regarded.
Her career was harmed by political developments, however, when her husband, the convinced
royalist count Benoist, was nominated in the Conseil d'État during the post-1814 monarchy
come-back called the Bourbon Restoration. Despite being at the height of her popularity, she has
to abandon her career, both painting and exposing, due to her devoir de réserve and the
strongly enforced conservatism of the reactionary regime.
Contemporary French Artists
Art Galleries in France
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