When Marie-Antoinette asked Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun to paint a portrait of her with her children, the youngest child Sophie was depicted in her cradle.
The portrait had to be adjusted when the 11 month old baby died during the time it was being painted. The green silk ,which was typically used as it was regarded as the best colour for a tranquil environment encouraging sleep, is in shadow, turning it to almost black.
The painting was originally in Marie-Antoinette’s bedroom but when her older son died she could no longer bear to look at it and had it removed from her apartment. That saved it from being destroyed during the French Revolution and the painting can now be seen in the Queen’s apartment at Versailles.
