By Meredith Glasco
The reign of Louis XV of France was spectacular in its advancement of the Late Rococo period due to the patronage of Madame de Pompadour, his head mistress from 1745-1764. Her upbringing as an educated woman in court would influence trends of Late Rococo that she would use to embellish her own public image. I seek to identify and explain the different elements of her court portraits and mythological portraits as a way to examine her roles as patron and mistress. Six portraits, three from each category of court and mythological, will be used as specific examples and to provide visual connections.
