Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Madame de Pompadour
The main objective of this slide show is to
gain visual exposure to the decorative arts
during the Rococo period
and Madame de Pompadour’s influence and
patronage.
Madame de Pompadour lived from
1721 to 1764. She was a
great patron of art and
culture while she reigned as
Louis XV’s mistress.
This is the actual dress
she wore when she sat
for her picture in the
previous slide. It
reflected the elaborate, feminine
characteristics of French
art during the 1700’s
She caught the eye of the king at a famous masked ball in Versailles in 1745. Louis was disguised as a tree during this ball.
She managed to maintain a good relationship with the Queen, Louis XV’s wife, who said “Better her,
than any other.”
Madame de Pompadour
loved beautiful objects.
This was the age of beautiful
furniture. In fact, even to this day FFF is considered the apex of art
and beauty.
Pillar mirrors (mirrors that extend down the wall) were popular. They reflected the candlelight found in the
salons of Paris and France.
Sedan chairs were carried by footmen so the aristocrat’s
feet did not get wet or muddy.
These books were owned by Madame de
Pompadour…
Madame de Pompadour
supported the Duke of Choiseul to be Foreign Minister
of France.Choiseul strongly
favored the alliance with
Austria.This alliance broke
up the alliance with Prussia,
forced Prussia to side with England,
and in the end, France lost its
colonies in the New World.
As a result, Madame de Pompadour was blamed for the
ruin of France, and the outcome of the Seven Years War.
Her legacy remains the beautiful objects and romantic inspiration of the Rococo age. The word Rococo means shell work, and clam shells
feature prominently, along with flourishes and flowers in Rococo
art work.
Remember, Rococo has an essentially Feminine feel to it.
Madame de
Pompadour wore a
cameo of Louis XV on her wrist.
Aristocratic ladies had elaborate dressing tables, called
toilettes with
beautifully crafted
objects on them.
These are Madame de Pompadour’s rooms that have been
reconstructed at
Versailles!
The gold fish became fashionable in France when the India Company sent a number of beautiful fish to Madame de Pompadour, in 1750.
She used to keep the red fishes into jugs made of glass or porcelain on the mantelpieces as well as on the windowsills of Versailles.
A glass pattern created in France and promoted by a clever publicity operation. It was said that it was molded on Madame de Pompadour’s breast.
Maybe for this legend people sometimes drink champagne in this kind of glasses.
She ceased to be Louis’ mistress, but remained his trusted friend. She died of Tuberculosis at age
42.
She supported
some of the greatest
minds of the
Enlightenment.
Hated by the French people,
she was nonetheless a symbol of the
age. Her patronage of the arts left a
glorious cultural legacy to France.
The main objective of this slide show was to gain visual exposure to the decorative arts
during the Rococo period and Madame de
Pompadour’s influence and
patronage.
