iu_ARTUM1_2015-07

Cameo with the image of Louis XV as a medium of defining Madame de Pompadour's identityin the portrait of her ToiletteFocus of this paper are portrait „Madame de Pompadour at Her Toilette“ and cameo presented in formof bracelet on Pompaodur’s wrist with the image of the King, Louis XV. Wide analysis of the portrait, as wellas life of Madame de Pompadour and her relationship with the King, leads to revealing an exact purposeand meaning of presented cameo. Portrait was painted in 1758, by Fracois Boucher, one of the Pompadour’sfavorite artists. Scenes of female toilettes were popular in French art since 16th century and the period ofFrench Renaissance. Those were usually sensual scenes which were emphasizing eroticism and seduction ofpresented female figures. In the eighteenth century, Madame de Pompadour made some differences in toiletterituals and raised them to a higher intellectual level. During her morning rituals she led serious conversationswith her audience which contained prominent intellectuals of her time. This portrait must be observed andanalyzed in such context, with no elements of prurience or coquetry, but deeper and more complex ideas.Madam de Pompadour was well educated women with wide range of interests. Even before she came toVersailles and become official misstates of the King, she was interested in various types of arts. As officialmistress of the King, she became one of the most prominent female patrons of visual arts in 18th century andperson whose portraits are among the most intellectually complex portraits of this period. For those reasonsportrait of her toilette must be considered more seriously than only a presentation of the King’s mistress whois applying rouge on her lips. Here, make up and „making up“ are compared with the establishment of royalidentity and „making up the royal self“, considering that she was bourgeoisie by birth. Portrait of the Kingis also supporting the process of making up her identity, but in a new way which is corresponding to thebiographical facts from the Pompadour’s life. In the year when portrait was made, Madame de Pompadourwas not King’s mistress any more. She became figure more important for the King - his very close friend andprivate counselor. She was the person whom King believed and whose opinion he appreciated the most. Ashis advisor she was standing behind many decisions which were signed by King. Presenting Louis XV on herwrist, in a form of cameo which was designed by her, Boucher literally placed Madame de Pompadour abovethe King. In that way she was defined as a female who holds King on her wrist as a piece of jewelry whichcould be removed whenever she wants, but still it would never be removed due to the sincere friendshipbetween the two of them.milicmiomir@yahoo.com21