A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Cheron, Elizabeth Sophia
CHERON, ELIZABETH SOPHIA,
Daughter of a painter in enamel, of the town of Meanx, was born at Paris in 1678, and studied under her father. At the age of fourteen her name was already famous. The celebrated Le Brun, in 1672, presented her to the academy of painting and sculpture, which complimented her by admitting her to the title of academician. She apportioned her time between painting, the learned languages, poetry, and music. She drew, on a large scale, a great number of gems, which were remarkable for exhibiting taste, a singular command of the pencil, a fine style of colouring, and a superior judgment in the chiaro-oscuro. The various styles of painting were familiar to her. She excelled in historical painting, oil-colours, miniature enamels, portrait-painting, and especially those of females. It is said that she frequently executed, from memory, the portraits of absent friends, to which she gave as strong a likeness as if they had sat to her. The academy of Ricovrati, at Padua, honoured her with the name of Erato, and gave her a place in their society. She died at Paris, September 3rd., 1741, at the age of sixty-three.