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Women in Fashion History: Madame de Pompadour, the Queen Mistress and Femme Savante
LikeThe marquise, Madame de Pompadour (1721-1764), born Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, was more than a brief love interest for the Doctor in this rather reknown show, “Doctor Who;” she was a significant figure in the fashion hub that was eighteenth-century France. Her Munich Portrait (1756), in partciular, was a statement of her power as a maîtresse-en-titre (royal mistress) to Louis XV (1710-1774), and representative of her vivacious fashion sense.
Madame de Pompadour (Munich Portrait) (1756), François Boucher. Oil on Canvas, 212 x 164 cm, Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Germany.
The Munich Portrait is a larger-than-life artwork by François Boucher, a prominent French court painter and friend to the marquise. The portrait was created to commemorate her promotion as a dame du palais, or lady-in-wainting to Queen Maria Leszcyńska (1703-1768), but simultaneously emphasized her unwavering permanence in the court of Louis XV. Pomapadour served as a royal mistress from 1745 until her death; however, she developed as the king's friend and confidant after they ceased sexual relations in 1750. The painting was exhibited in the Louvre Salon of 1757 and positions in the centre of the room, typically reserved for the display of royal portraiture-- an incredibly cheeky choice by the first bourgeoise-born royal mistress of France. It was a symbol of power, elegance, and feminine power in the French court.
The portrait is adorned with items of the enlightement: a writing desk, musical scores, journals, and books, accompanied by Pompadour's beloved dog, Mimi. The image represents the marquise's intellectual capacity and accolades as a femme savante; she was an extremely culture and educated woman for her time, despite being born into the middle class. Arguably the most eye-catching element of this painting is Pompadour's robe à la française dress. It takes up the majority of the composition and leaves you in awe of her magnificant elegance; your eyes cannot help but graze along the sumptuous serpentine lines of fabric, lace, and ornamentation. The air of regality she possesses in this portrait is induced by the teal taffeta silk flourished with lace ruffles and "Pompadour pink" roses, as she outstretches diagonally along a chaise lounge because of the widness of her panniers, or side hooped petticoat. Her bodice is garnished with a cascading ladder of delicating striped pink silk ribbons, those of which also decorate her lace ruffled sleeves and the chocker around her neck. Her diagonally reposed body indices an appreciation for the garment, different to her other portraits like Boucher's 1759 painting and Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame (1763-4) by François Hubert Dourais. Although she is never depicted wearing clothing not exuding upper-class taste, the Munich Portrait uses the taffeta dress to emphasize the true essence of her grandeur and presence.
Madame de Pompadour (1759), François Boucher. Oil on Canvas, 91 x 68cm, Wallace Collection, London.
Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame (1763-4), François-Hubert Drouais. Oil on Canvas, 217 x 156.8 cm, National Gallery, London.
This bourgeoise-born woman emanated power, grace, beauty, and intellect in the face of her contemporaries, all the while wearing the most voluptuous and carefully curated dress. The dress was incredibly influential within its time, but we can also notice that she continues to inspire media. The dress can be spotted in the film, "Dangerous Liaisons" (1988), worn by Glenn Close, and Nicki Minaj's homage in W Magazine in 2011; which goes to show the sheer power this dress had in imprinting her as an infamous icon.
[Left] Nicki Minaj in the green robe à la française, "Agents Provocateurs," October 1, 2011.
[Left] Glenn Close in a blue colored replica of the robe à la française. "Dangerous Liaisons" (1988), by costume designer James Acheson.
