In the lap of the goddess

When Anne Pitt sat for Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun in Rome, the French artist portrayed the young British aristocrat as Hebe, daughter of Zeus—complete with an eagle painted from life. Sarah Fortescue traces the picture's story

- Sarah Fortescue

ANNE PITT was only 16 when she visited Rome with her father, Thomas, 1st Baron Camelford, in 1792—and had the opportunity to have her portrait painted by one of the most celebrated artists of her time. Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun had been Marie Antoinette’s portrait-ist, so, once the French Revolution began, she fled to seek refuge in Italy. When she met Anne and her father, she was establishing herself internationally as one of the leading portrait painters of the late 18th century. Pitt was known to be a patron of the Arts and one can imagine the conversation in which the idea of the portrait was mooted: wouldn't it be nice if Élisabeth painted Anne when father and daughter were travelling in Italy?