Synopses & Reviews
Mistress of Louis XIV and Louis XV, Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, known as Madame de Pompadour, was a woman of remarkable grace, beauty, and wit.
Synopsis
Mistress of Louis XIV and Louis XV, Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, known as Madame de Pompadour, was a woman of remarkable grace, beauty, and wit. She lived from 1721 to 1764 and dedicated her life to Louis XV. When the sexual relationship (which she did not enjoy) transformed into friendship, she entertained the King with cultural activities, from amateur theatricals to architecture. She protected writers and painters, supported the development of Sevres porcelain and could not resist entering the power game. She was largely blamed for the French defeats in the Seven Years War. This new interpretation of the life and achievements of Madame de Pompadour provides a look at a woman, who, though certainly not a feminist, advanced using the only means of power available to her sex. No life reveals more closely than hers the extent and the limitations of women's status and power in the 18th century.