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Terms and conditions of use
Still life
(c. 1785)
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
35 × 27.3 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
The Nigel Peck AM & Patricia Peck Fund, 2020
Gallery location
17th & 18th Century Decorative Arts & Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
Anne Vallayer-Coster was admitted into the Académie Royale in 1770 and exhibited at the Paris Salon for the first time the following year. Though her career’s work consists mostly of still lifes, she also painted a number of portraits. However, due to strong competition in portraiture from artists such as Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Vallayer-Coster, in a shrewd business decision, decided to focus on still-life and flower painting. She was equalled by few in this genre. A prolific artist, she found favour through Marie Antoinette at the French court, which contributed to her success and markedly enhanced her reputation.