in the 1790s, clothilde was described by the exiled élisabeth vigée le brun as remarkably changed in her appearance as well as personality. as vigée le brun's stay in italy occurred between 1789 and 1792, and was granted audience to clothilde by letters of introduction by the "mesdames de france", the meeting likely took place in 1791 or 1792, despite the fact that vigée le brun - perhaps in retrospect - referred to clothilde and her spouse as king and queen, while they were in fact still prince and princess of piedmont at this point: