The successive portraits of Vigée Le Brun’s daughter Julie (1780–1819) mark significant moments in the history of their passionate and conflicted mother-daughter relationship. In this particular work, Julie is portrayed as Flora, the goddess of flowers who heralds the arrival of spring. She is subject to the whims of Zephyr, the wind god who married Flora and carried her away. Fulfilling a prophetic vision, Julie soon married against her mother’s wishes, leading to their separation.
Julie Le Brun as Flora
Oil on canvas • 129.5 × 97.8 cm
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Élisabeth Vigee Le Brun