Displaying Lives: the Narrative of Objects in Biographical Exhibitions

Biographical exhibitions are a museum practice that asks for critical consideration. Grounding the argument in critical theory, social studies and museum theory, the article explores the narrative function of objects in biographical exhibitions by addressing the social significance of objects in relation to biography and their relevance when presented into an exhibition display. Central is the concept of objects as ‘biographical relics’ that are culturally fetishized in biographical narratives. This raises questions about biographical reliability and the cultural role that such objects plays in exhibition narratives as bearers of reality and as metonymical icons of the biographical subject. The article considers examples of biographical exhibitions of diverse figures such as Gregor Mendel, Madame de Pompadour and Roland Barthes, and the role that personal items, but also portraits and photographs, play in them

Between Worlds: The Biography of Madame de Pompadour\u27s Boudoir Turc

Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, known as the Marquise de Pompadour, was celebrated for her great patronage of the arts, including architecture. This biographical account of her Turkish boudoir at Bellevue examines its implications of personal and private life, class and gender, and the role of exoticism in eighteenth-century architectural interiors. Analysis of the boudoir and its contents reflect much about its unusual mistress and the unique period of the mid-eighteenth century, as all are likened to the metaphor of existing in a liminal space “between worlds.

Goddess of France, 1745-1764: Madame de Pompadour and the Rococo Traditions of 18th-Century French Portraiture

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

Kings and Courtesans: A Study of the Pictorial Representation of French Royal Mistresses

This thesis explores the development in the pictorial representation of four important French royal mistresses. It looks at works depicting Agnès Sorel, mistress to Charles VII; Diane de Poitiers, mistress to Henri II; Gabrielle d’Estrées, mistress to Henri IV; and Madame de Pompadour, mistress to Louis XV. By placing the portrayals of these women within a historical context, it becomes apparent that there are links between the strength of the crown and the depictions of the mistresses. This thesis traces the development of the imagery associated with these women and demonstrates that as the crown became more and more powerful, the portraits of the kings’ mistresses became bolder and less disguised

The French Official Mistress: Fashioning Female Political Power in the \u3ci\u3eAncien Régime\u3c/i\u3e

This thesis focuses on the French official mistress as a position of unofficial female political power under the French monarchy from the 16th to the 18th century. Centering on three case studies – Diane de Poitiers, Madame de Maintenon, and Madame de Pompadour – this thesis argues that the role of the official mistress extended beyond sexual companion to advisor, negotiator, diplomat, artistic patron, and cultural trendsetter. By taking a deep look at the epistolary and artistic record of these three official mistresses from across France’s modern history, the extent of their autonomy and political maneuvering becomes clear in the tactics they used to project and solidify their power. Diane de Poitiers, Madame de Maintenon, and Madame de Pompadour all existed in unique contexts of the French court and constructed their own methods of fulfilling the role of the official mistress, revealing both changes in the monarchy and their impacts upon it. Notably, the ways in which they projected identity through self-fashioning resulted in a reflection of this image back onto the monarch, expanding the extent of their impact on the monarchy. In striving to understand the political reality of women in France under Salic law and today, the position of maîtresse-en-titre is a crucial framework to recognize the significance of female power structures at court and in the monarchy, and the degree to which women were able to shape these structures themselves

Marriages, Mistresses, And Mockery: Gender Roles And Power Dynamics In The Saint-Aubin Livre De Caricatures Tant Bonnes Que Mauvaises

In a collection of nearly 400 drawings entitled Livre de caricatures tant bonne que mauvaises, Charles-Germain de Saint-Aubin (1721-1786) ridiculed every aspect of French culture from King Louis XV and his court, to the poorest pockets of society. For the purposes of this thesis, I will be focusing on Saint-Aubin’s drawings of anonymous women, wives, and mistresses. Along with the depictions of women, I will examine the instances in which he draws men dressed up as women. Charles-Germain uses the image of women to highlight the follies of man. I cannot and will not argue these images are in any way kind towards women, but I will aim to illustrate the ways in which they are critical of men

Displaying lives: the narrative of objects in biographical exhibitions

Biographical exhibitions are a museum practice that asks for critical consideration. Grounding the argument in critical theory, social studies and museum theory, the article explores the narrative function of objects in biographical exhibitions by addressing the social significance of objects in relation to biography and their relevance when presented into an exhibition display. Central is the concept of objects as ‘biographical relics’ that are culturally fetishized in biographical narratives. This raises questions about biographical reliability and the cultural role that such objects plays in exhibition narratives as bearers of reality and as metonymical icons of the biographical subject. The article considers examples of biographical exhibitions of diverse figures such as Gregor Mendel, Madame de Pompadour and Roland Barthes, and the role that personal items, but also portraits and photographs, play in them

Mme. de Pompadour: Self Promotion and Social Performance through Architecture and the Decorative Arts

The structure of this thesis relies on the physical locations of Mme. de Pompadour. Although the chapters are roughly chronological, beginning with her arrival at Versailles in 1745 and ending with her death in 1764, this work makes no attempt to comprehensively chronicle the entirety of her involvement in the decorative arts. Rather, it focuses on several specific aspects of her patronage, with the goal of illuminating her social position and public image, and how she worked to control the two. Chapter One deals with the first rooms Mme. de Pompadour inhabited, from 1745-1750. These upper apartments characterize her early attempts to convey meaning through décor and to shape social interactions within a constructed environment. Chapter Two follows Mme. de Pompadour’s move downstairs, to the lower apartments in 1750. This move parallels an important evolution in her role at court and seeks to explore how her newly political functions were expressed through these interior spaces. Chapter Three is more expansive, examining three architectural projects undertaken by Mme. de Pompadour and Louis XV on her behalf, over the course of her nineteen years at court. These independent homes represented an opportunity for Mme. de Pompadour to actively work to change public perception of herself and her role, an opportunity that she did not waste

The development and evolution of Parisian fashion supremacy from Francois I to Napoleon III, 1999

This thesis charts the development of Parisian fashion supremacy, dating from the 16th century reign of Franois I to the eventual establishment of haute couture in the 19th century. Via a century-by-century analysis, key individuals who contributed to the development of fashion dominance and haute couture are highlighted. This analysis is composed of three chapters and a conclusion. The first chapter concentrates on the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, identifying Franois I and Louis XIV as central personalities who influenced French fashion supremacy during their respective eras. This chapter also mentions key aspects of the French Renaissance which makes this a logical starting point for this analysis. The second chapter identifies Madame de Pompadour and Marie Antoinette as the most influential personal ties influencing fashion trends on a worldwide scale. It marks the emergence of the female as the dominant arbiter of fashion; taking the position formally held by the French kings. Characteristics during the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI which allowed this transition of authority to take place are discussed. Finally, it is during this chapter that Paris emerges as the fashion capital of the world. The third chapter reviews the nineteenth century and its ultimate contribution to French fashion dominance: haute couture. Key elements during the reign of Napoleon III, along with the creative genius and dressmaking ability of Charles Frederick Worth are credited with its creation. Additionally, the development of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Franaise and its influences on the fashion world are analyzed. The conclusion summarizes the evolution of French fashion and discusses France's current position