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Portrait of Madame de Pompadour

François Boucher, 1756

François Boucher painted this full-length portrait of Madame de Pompadour in 1756, showing her seated on a sofa among books, music and writing materials. The large canvas belongs to the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is shown at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.

Where to see it

The painting is part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is listed at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, upper floor, gallery XII. It has been on permanent loan from the HVB Group to the Alte Pinakothek since 1971. Hangings can change, so check the Alte Pinakothek's official website for current display status before you visit.

What to look for in person

The Rose-Embroidered Green Dress

Start with the dress, which fills much of the canvas. The green gown spreads widely across the sofa and is embroidered with roses, a motif that reappears in the loose blooms lying on the floor. Step close to study how Boucher builds up the folds, trimmings and sheen of the fabric in oil paint, then step back to see how the gown frames her relaxed, seated pose. On a canvas just over two metres tall, the fabric becomes one of the main subjects of the picture rather than a mere costume.

Books, Music and Letters

Look for the signs of an occupied mind. She holds an open book on her lap, and more books, sheet music and drawings are placed around her. On the small table at the right are a candlestick, an envelope and a stick of sealing wax, while an open drawer reveals a quill and inkwells. The state seal also appears on a side table. Taken together, these objects present the sitter as someone engaged with reading, music, drawing and correspondence, not simply as a figure of fashion.

Mirror, Clock and Mimi

Behind her, a large mirror reflects a bookcase topped by a clock, opening up the room and adding yet another reference to books. Notice also the extinguished candle and the clock in the background, details that bring a sense of time into the scene and have invited different readings. Finally, look to the lower left corner, where her dog Mimi appears. These smaller elements reward a slow second look once the dress and the sitter's face have first caught your attention.

About the painting

François Boucher completed this portrait of Madame de Pompadour in 1756, painting it in oil on canvas at a scale of 201 by 157 centimetres. The sitter was 37 years old at the time and is shown at ease on a sofa, surrounded by the furnishings and objects of a private interior. Rather than placing her against a neutral backdrop, Boucher fills the room with things to discover: books, sheet music, drawings, writing implements, the state seal, a mirror, a clock and her dog Mimi. For a visitor, this means the painting works on two levels. From a distance it reads as a composed, decorative full-length portrait dominated by the green, rose-embroidered gown; up close it becomes an inventory of pursuits and possessions that shape how the sitter is presented. The picture is considered largely a studio production. Madame de Pompadour is reported to have sat in person only for her face, with the rest of the composition, including the costume and setting, worked up in the studio. That is worth keeping in mind as you compare the handling of the face with the broader treatment of fabric and accessories. The painting's modern history is closely tied to Munich. In 1971 the HypoVereinsbank acquired it from a New York art dealer, and since that year it has been on permanent loan from the HVB Group to the Alte Pinakothek, where it is presented within the Bavarian State Painting Collections. It is listed in gallery XII on the museum's upper floor.

Key facts

More by François Boucher

• Jupiter and Callisto
• Diana leaving her Bath — Louvre Museum

Sources

• Wikidata Q12841555
• Wikipedia (ja) (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• Wikipedia (fr) (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• Wikipedia (de) (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• Wikipedia (es) (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• www.pinakothek.de