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1754: Pastel of Madame de Pompadour

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François Boucher

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the official mistress of Louis XV

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came from the bourgeoisie rather than the nobility

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ennobled by the king upon becoming his official mistress

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known for her beauty and

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a clever woman

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had the king appoint her brother and uncle to positions of importance regarding arts in the society

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directors of king's buildings

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responsible for works of art in Versailles and the Louvre

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she was controversial

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a woman

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from the bourgeoisie

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influencing decisions on matters of taste in the court

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pastels

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a genre that skilled artists like Boucher excelled at during this period

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works of art in their own right

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more intimate kinds of art that were collected by elite people who had taste

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in collecting drawings

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rather than drawing that were used more decoratively

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Madame Pompadour was an amateur artist herself

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took lessons in drawing and print making with Boucher

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Boucher technically worked for her

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the painting

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Madame Pompadour

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in a crown of roses

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framed by roses

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framed by putti

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below her you see references to her taste in the arts

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sculpture

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painting

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scripts of music

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scrolls and a book

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fine lines on putti

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contrast with light edges on Madame Pompadour

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shown as a woman as beauty

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rose buds emphasize her femininity

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colors

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tended to be pastels

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light pinks, blues, greens and yellows

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delicate hues

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adds to the reception of Madame Pompadour as a delicate person of learning