Anne Vallayer-Coster was a noted French still life painter of the Baroque era.
Though she received some training from the landscape painter Joseph Vernet, she had no official teacher and apparently learned still life on her own.
She was elected to the Académie Royal, one of only four women artists to receive that distinction at them time.
Though she painted a variety of subjects, still life became her specialty. At time when still life was lowest in status of painting genres, Vallayer-Coster garnered attention and accolades with her high level of skill and striking compositions.
In her more simple subjects, you can see the influence of Chardin, who was her predecessor in many ways.
Marie Antoineette was her most important patron, for whom she became a Painter to the Court.
During the French Revolution Vallayer-Coster’s career suffered, and she disappeared from public view for a time, but she managed to survive with head intact.
There is a collection of her work in print, Anne Vallayer Coster: Painter to the Court of Marie Antoinette.
