Ernestine-Frédérique, Prinses van Croÿ
Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun
1781
Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, the rockstar portraitist of Marie Antoinette, captures the essence of 1780s French glamour here. The Princesse de Croy wears a towering powdered wig topped with fresh roses, a fashion statement so extreme it often required wire and padding to achieve. Painted in 1781 during the height of the Rococo movement, the soft pastel tones and dreamy, leafy background create a sense of effortless aristocratic charm. It’s a beautiful reminder of a time when hair was the ultimate status symbol, just before the French Revolution changed everything forever.