Jeanne Bécu, Comtesse du Barry
c. 1770-1774
Meet Madame du Barry, the last official mistress of King Louis XV, captured here in all her Rococo glory. Drouais paints her looking incredibly innocent and fresh, draped in white silk and holding a lush garland of roses, which cleverly hides the fact that she was actually a former courtesan who scandalized the French court. Her towering powdered hair was the height of 1770s fashion, but her rise from commoner to royal favorite made her many enemies—including a young Marie Antoinette, who famously refused to speak to her for months. Sadly, this beautiful portrait belies her tragic end; she was one of the first victims of the guillotine during the French Revolution.
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