Listen to Part One of ArtMuse's episode on Madame de Pompadour, the official mistress of King Louis XV, who became the first woman of Bourgeoisie origins to ever become the King’s mistress in the French Royal Court.

And she was much more than just a mistress. As the years went on, Madame de Pompadour eventually graduated from mistress to the King’s political advisor and became involved with domestic and foreign affairs.

She was also an important patron of the arts. She was Boucher’s favorite model and can be found in nine separate portraits by him. Through her patronage, Madame de Pompadour greatly influenced and inspired the development of the Rococo style.

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ArtMuse is produced by Kula Production Company.

Today’s episode was written by host Grace Anna.

There are accompanying images, resources and suggestions for further reading on the ArtMuse website and Instagram.