19th century portrait of Marie Antoinette and her children from the studio of Elisabeth Louise Vigée le Brun, estimated at $80,000-120,000 at Skinner.
The large, 9ft x 7ft 2in (2.75 x 2.2m) oil on canvas is contained in a period frame topped with a central crest and royal coat of arms.
The painting, which is unsigned and is identified and dated to 1837 on a presentation plaque, was commissioned in the early years of the 19th century from the studio of Vigée Le Brun by the Irigoyen Family, Spanish aristocrats and close associates of the French royals.
The painting recreates on the same large scale one of Vigée Le Brun’s most renowned works which is held in the collection at Versailles. Vigée le Le Brun’s Versailles painting of 1787 was the largest she ever created and took two years to complete.
The estimate is $80,000-120,000.
