Born: 14 December 1784, France
Died: 2 January 1845
Country most active: France
Also known as: Antoinette-Cécile-Hortense Haudebourt-Lescot
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Antoinette-Cécile-Hortense Haudebourt-Lescot was a notable French painter known for her genre scenes. Her artistic journey began at the age of seven when she started learning from Guillaume Guillon-Lethière, a respected history painter who was also a family friend. In 1807, when he became the director of the French Academy in Rome, she went with him and stayed there until 1816.
While in Rome, she focused on painting Italian peasants’ daily lives and clothing in great detail. This foreign experience greatly influenced her work and set her apart as a woman artist of her time. She regularly exhibited her paintings at the Paris Salon, showcasing 110 works between 1811 and 1840.
Her talent caught the attention of the Duchesse de Berry, who appointed her as a court painter. In 1820, Haudebourt-Lescot married the architect Louis-Pierre Haudebourt and eventually passed away in Paris in 1845.
As a teacher, she shared her knowledge with aspiring artists, including notable pupils such as Herminie Déhérain and Marie-Ernestine Serret.