Saturday, August 3, 2013
Chambre de Madame de Pompadour
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A place for friends to meet... with reflections on politics, history, art, music, books, morals, manners, and matters of faith. A blog by Elena Maria Vidal.
6 comments:
LOL, I would have expected something more 'Mae West.'
I love the soft green.
It's unfortunate, though, that Pompadour, too, was called 'Antoinette.'
Beautiful! That green shade is very pretty.
I would definitely not expect anything "Mae West" from Jeanne de Pompadour, who was known in her time for intelligence, taste, and discernment. She was highly educated and took a keen interest in literature, philosophy, art, theater, and politics from an early age. She actively promoted the arts and letters in France, and supported philosophers and men of letters, while also assisting in establishing the Sevres porcelain factory.
The blackest mark against her is her obscene extravagance. She cost the Crown much, much more than Marie Antoinette ever could, and her interventions in politics and foreign policy were not felicitous.
You could say many bad things about her: she was ruthless toward enemies, and descended to real lows in morality in her efforts to keep the King from losing interest in her and to hang onto her power. But you could not accuse her of the kind of cheerful vulgarity we associate with Mae West.
Excellent summary. Thank you, NC.
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