Self-Portrait with Two Pupils, Marie Gabrielle Capet (1761–1818) and Marie Marguerite Carreaux de Rosemond (died 1788) 1785

Adélaïde Labille-Guiard painted “Self-Portrait with Two Pupils, Marie Gabrielle Capet and Marie Marguerite Carreaux de Rosemond" with oil on canvas, portraying herself in the act of painting, flanked by her pupils against a muted backdrop. The composition is structured by a strong diagonal from the lower-left corner, where her easel stands, leading up to the trio of figures. The artist employs a restrained color palette, dominated by soft blues, greens, and browns, which lends the scene a sense of harmony and refined elegance. The textures are meticulously rendered. Notice the smooth, lustrous folds of Labille-Guiard's silk dress and the delicate brushwork which captures the soft, youthful faces of her students. This portrait challenges the prevailing artistic norms of its time, asserting the role of women as both artists and educators within the traditionally male-dominated art world. The gazes of the figures involve the viewer, blurring the lines between representation and reality. The open brushwork and carefully constructed composition serve not only aesthetic purposes but also communicate ideas about female empowerment and artistic autonomy. It invites ongoing interpretation about the evolving role of women in art history.