And Adélaïde Labille-Guiard Became a Teacher in 18th Century...Teacher's Day

 The post is largely courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

 This magisterial work is a self-portrait of the 35-year-old artist Adélaïde Labille-Guiard (1749–1803) alongside two of her pupils.

Labille-Guiard shows herself in her studio, at work on a large canvas. The artist pauses, paintbrush poised over her palette, and gazes outward. On her lap she balances a mahlstick, used to steady a painter’s working hand. She announces her authorship with a prominent signature on the easel’s shelf.

At the same time, she forms an intimate trio with two of her students—Marie Marguerite Carreaux de Rosemond (left) and Marie-Gabrielle Capet (right)—asserting her role as a teacher of aspiring women artists.

The work is virtually unprecedented in the history of European painting. Before Labille-Guiard, few women in France had been admitted into the privileged ranks of the Academy, and she was one of only a small number to oversee a teaching studio in the 18th century. 

Labille-Guiard showcases her command of this style in her masterful rendering of a range of materials. Notice the plumage of her straw hat, captured in delicate, feathery brushstrokes …the shimmering silk folds of her fashionable robe à l’anglaise …and the reflective sheen of the parquet wood floor.

The Neoclassical style was associated with masculinity, and critics responded in kind. They praised Labille-Guiard’s portrait for the “vigor” and “force” of its handling.  At least one reviewer assumed it was painted by a man.