I have seen my share of American and European films about Marie Antoinette. One of my favourite blogs, Frock Flicks, made the most complete list I have seen of all the movies about the French Queen (view it here). I have decided to feature just a few of the very best actresses who have been lucky enough to portray the fabulous Marie Antoinette (how jealous I am that they got to wear all these sumptuous costumes during filming!)
My favourite portrayal is Kirsten Dunst in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, partly because the film is so gorgeous. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it!
Marie Antoinette in Art
It is always interesting to compare actors to actual portraits of the historical figures they are portraying. Marie Antoinette had more than her fair share of portraits painted during her lifetime.
Marie Antoinette with a Rose by Vigée Le Brun
Portrait of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France by Jean-Baptiste Andre Gautier-Dagoty
By Martin Meytens
By unidentified artist
Portrait of Archduchess Marie-Antoinette by Joseph Ducreux, 1769
Portrait of the Queen Marie Antoinette by Jean-Baptiste Gautier Dagoty
Marie Antoinette En Chemise, Portrait Of The Queen In A "muslin" Dress, By Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun
Marie Antoinette was and is an enduringly popular figure among artists and photographers. Although she is certainly seconded by Cleopatra, who has inspired an even more impressive body of paintings and sculptures. You can see Cleopatra's representation in Art on my blog here. Regardless, Marie Antoinette, without a doubt, deserves the status of the most fashionable and glamorous European royalty in history.
