Unlike many other members of the French court, it is thought Madame de Pompadour had a rather common background, although her past is shrouded in some mystery. Yet remarkably, she was able to rise the ranks to a position of considerable power and influence, earning her a secure place in the history books.
How Did Madame de Pompadour Come to the French Court?
Madame de Pompadour was born Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson on December 29, 1721 to Francois Poisson and Louise-Madeleine de La Motte. Those close to her called her “Reinette.” She was educated well, having been taught by tutors in the arts, dancing, singing, and acting. She was also schooled at a convent in Poissy. After a fortune teller told her mother that the girl would win the heart of the King, she was trained to make it to court, to catch the eye of royalty, and to play the role of mistress.
Madame de Pompadour began becoming a frequent participant in Paris salons, a place where both men and women could gather as almost equals to have conversations about politics, literature, and other intellectual topics of the day. It was one possible way for women to really get a leg up in the world. It was through these salons that her name was being circulated to the King and how she ended up being invited to court.
What Was So Remarkable About Madame de Pompadour?
While she is well known as one of King Louis XV’s mistresses (and certainly one of his favorites) she had far more influence in her lifetime. She is even attributed to influencing aspects of the French Enlightenment – her work as a patron of the arts is why some cultural elements flourished and became well known. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, “Pompadour helped usher in the creation of France’s first encyclopedia, planned buildings and palaces and established a center for porcelain production at Sèvres.”
Why Was She a Controversial Figure?
You can’t ride to star status within a court without stepping on a few toys. Pompadour certainly had her enemies. King Louis XV was the one who elevated her from just Jeanne-Antoinette to a title of Marquise by buying the Marquisate of Pompadour and formally introducing her to the court as Madame de Pompadour on September 14, 1745. One famous enemy was Comte de Maurepas, who wrote a poem dissing Pompadour in a rather public manner. This ended with the King exiling the man, something he usually avoided doing with enemies of his mistresses.
What Happened to Madame de Pompadour?
As royal mistresses aged, they were often pushed out and forgotten. While Madame de Pompadour did end her relations with the King, that did not stop them for seeing each other. She moved from the upstairs room that he could access secretly by a staircase to a downstairs apartment. While this was a “demotion” as a mistress, Louis XV remained affectionate to her and continued to consult her for advice, as well as allowing her to remain ingrained in court politics.
She did not arrange future mistresses for the King, or have anything to do with his private affairs. Instead, she stated about the King, “it is his heart I want! All these little girls with no education will not take it from me. I would not be so calm if I saw some pretty woman of the court or the capital trying to conquer it.”
Madame de Pompadour died at the very young age of 42 of tuberculosis. The King cared for her through her illness. Tuberculosis, a bacterial infection that infects the lungs and was dangerous at the time. Evidence of the disease can be traced back to mummified remains in Egypt. It is still dangerous. While not confirmed, the King watching his mistress’s body leave in a coffin to go to her final resting place supposedly said “the marquise will not have good weather for her journey,” due to the rain.
How Was Madame de Pompadour Represented in Popular Culture?
Outside of her influence during her lifetime, Madame de Pompadour has continued to have a significant influence within popular culture even today. She appears as a character in numerous films and television episodes, and has even influenced fashion.
Her character has been in many historically-based fictional stories, and documentaries. She even has an opera named on her. One of the more recent appearances was in a 2006 episode of Doctor Who, “The Girl in the Fireplace.” She was played by Jessica Atkins when she was a child and Sophia Myles as an adult, showing the full reach of her fame.
While these are not verified, there are two design shapes with drinking glasses and stone cuts that claim to come from Madame de Pompadour. The coupe style, a wine glass that is a shallow flat circle, is used for champagne and other fun cocktails. It came into popularity in the 1930s. There are claims that the shape comes from the breast shape of Madame de Pompadour (or in some claims the shape of Marie Antoinette). The marquise shape of stones such as sapphires, emeralds, or diamonds, is said to be modeled after Madame de Pompadour’s lips. Neither of those can be confirmed, and while highly unlikely, it can still show how much of an impact Madame de Pompadour has had on culture, old, and new.
