Publication Date: January 13, 2026
In a world where women are seen but rarely heard, Adélaïde Labille-Guiard refuses to be silenced.
The daughter of Parisian shopkeepers, Adélaïde dreams not of marriage or titles but of earning a place among the masters of French art. With Queen Marie Antoinette on the throne and a spirit of change in the air, anything seems possible. But as revolution brews and powerful forces conspire to deny her success, Adélaïde faces an impossible choice: protect her life or fight for a legacy that will outlast her.
Inspired by the true story of one of the first women admitted to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, Adélaïde: Painter of the Revolution is a sweeping, evocative portrait of ambition, courage, and resilience in the face of history’s fiercest storm.
Adélaïde: Painter of the Revolution is a debut novel by Janell Strube. A historical story set during the French Revolution, it highlights the plight of female artists, most notably Adélaïde Labille-Guiard.
The prologue reveals the story’s outcome and takes place in Paris in 1793. The story spans 1763 to 1791 in six parts, and we learn about Adélaïde’s childhood and family life, as well as how she develops her craft.
The story is filled with historical references, and we delve deeply into art, paintings, and other media, as well as the process behind them. The treatment of Adélaïde and her students, who are trying to live their lives by earning their keep while also fighting for equal treatment as the male artists, was heartbreaking.
The story flows well and evokes a lot of emotion. Her childhood friend Francois, who was also an artist, was always there for her. He was her love interest throughout, even after she left her cruel and abusive husband, but couldn’t divorce him. He always supported her ideas, even when they caused problems for her with the government, the royal family, or the associations she sought to join.
Multiple storylines play out, and they are woven together nicely. There are several characters, and many are not who they seem. Many had a cruel streak, and Adélaïde was often the butt of their laughter and ridicule. She had a core group she interacted with and cared for, and they cared about her in return.
Tears were shed during the final part of the story, set during the revolt. There is some closure, but the book ended abruptly with a hint of happier times ahead.
Adélaïde: Painter of the Revolution gave me a look into a part of history that I had never focused upon, as well as Adélaïde’s role in fighting for female artists in what was a man’s domain.
Janell Strube is the author of Adélaïde: Painter of the Revolution. Her poetry has appeared in multiple volumes of A Year in Ink and the San Diego Poetry Annual, while pieces of her memoir have been published in the Shaking the Tree: Brazen. Short. Memoir. (anthologies). She lives and writes in San Juan Capistrano. When not working as a tax executive for a hotel chain, she hangs out with Shiloh the Wheaten and works on her next novel.
