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Madame de Pompadour
François Boucher · Rococo & Neoclassicism
- Artist
- François Boucher (1703–1770)
- Date
- 1756
- Dimensions
- 201 x 157 cm
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Germany
This portrait shows Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, the influential mistress of King Louis XV, reclining on a sofa in a sumptuous green silk gown covered with roses, a book in her hand.
A closer look
Boucher, her favourite painter, presents her not only as a beauty but as a cultured woman and patron of the arts. Around her lie the signs of her interests: books, a writing desk with quill and letters, sheets of music and engravings, while her little dog rests at her feet. A mirror behind her reflects a bookcase. The dress, with its ribbons, lace and garlands of pink roses, is painted with dazzling virtuosity. The portrait is both an image of luxury and a carefully constructed statement of intellectual standing.
More by François Boucher
In this gallery
Famous works elsewhere
- La Naissance de Vénus 1754
- Madame Bergeret 1766