So, the first of my Mistress Mondays and I’m not going to lie the reason I first decided to do some more research into Madame de Pompadour is so I could use this GIF…
The Girl in the Fireplace is perhaps my favourite episode of Doctor Who and I’m so glad it inspired me to look up Jeanne Poisson, better known as Madame de Pompadour.
Jeanne Poisson was born towards the end of 1721 into a wealthy and well-connected family. By the age of 23 she had been introduced to court and by 1745 she was the official mistress of Louis XIV and had rooms within the palace. Much like many mistresses of royalty Poisson’s family were involved in her achieving her role within court (think the Boleyn, Howard and Seymour girls in the court of Henry VIII) with some sources suggesting that she was groomed for this from a young age. She held a high level of influence in both the court and the rest of France due to her companionship (although in later years she was not a mistress) with the King which continued until her death.
She was introduced to court in costume (again think Anne Boleyn in the masquerades) and dressed as a shepherdess. Her position at court was originally Lady in Waiting to the queen. It was not uncommon for Louis XIV to have mistresses but the speed in which she was made chief mistress and given the title Madame de Pompadour so early into their relationship shows the influence she had on the King. When it was clear that it would be a long term arrangement she formally separated from the husband she had married when she was 19. As the Chief Mistress she certainly controlled who was in favour in court and often gave family and friends significant responsibility.
In her role, Poisson had significant influence in many different spheres, particularly in the arts. Not only was she frequently performing in productions in court, her apartments were lavishly decorated with paintings by her favourite artists such as Boucher. She also had a deep shade of pink porcelain which was named after her! This porcelain was made in France and she was a great patron of French industry.
Not only was she heavily involved in the arts but she was also interested in science and politics. She was a patron of the enlightenment writer Voltaire and is often blamed for France’s defeats during the Seven Year War due to the influence she held over Louis and the monetary issues in France following the war. It is unclear how much of this was scapegoating in order to continue to portray the king in a positive light.
Mistresses did hold more power and influence than other women in court, but it appears as though Madame de Pompadour not only controlled court life but also was involved in the external affairs of France and trend setting during the 1700s. This influence continued up until her death in 1764 despite her no longer being a mistress.
Sources Used
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/madame-de-pompadour-was-far-more-mistress-180967662/
https://www.biography.com/people/madame-de-pompadour-21075947
The Lassicist 