Art History Series: Madame de Pompadour – Friend of the King

Jean Baptiste Pigalle: Madame de Pompadour as "Friendship" (Louvre)

After the events of 1757 and the Battle of Rossbach, France lost its American colonies to England. Madame Pompadour reassures the king with the famous phrase "Au reste, après nous, le Déluge" (Besides, after us, the Deluge), but she herself is troubled by the public's ill opinion of her, as she is blamed for her influence and political direction. On the other hand, unlike the previous lovers of the king, she is the only one who manages to have a role in royal and political life and bring joy to the monarch, who was prone to melancholic moods and boredom. She entertains him with her constant company, extravagant balls and themed elegant dinners, visits to the opera, hunting, and tours of their various estates and lodgings. Sometimes she even managed to get the queen - Marie Leszczyńska – to join them on their travels by invitation of the King.

In 1750, her relationship with the King remains purely platonic for two major reasons - one is her severely deteriorating health after many illnesses and three lost pregnancies to the King, and the other is that it falls on the Jubilee Year - when everyone must repent of their sins and society expects the king to renounce his mistress.

In order to preserve her good name, the marquise used art again cunningly and commissioned a sculpture from Jean-Baptiste Pigalle that depicted her as Amitié (friendship). A gentle pose, a reduced gaze, and the offering of this sculpture to a now lost small sculpture of the King, won back the devotion of the majority, and she remained a faithful adviser to the king until the end of her days.

This wonderful statue can be seen in the Louvre.

Regards,

Julia

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