Artwork Title: The Toilette of Venus

The Toilette of Venus, 1751

François Boucher

As a mistress to Louis XV, Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, the marquise de Pompadour, commissioned lush paintings by Boucher and Jean-Baptiste Greuze, among others. The Toilette of Venus and The Bath of Venus were originally painted in 1751 as pendants for her bathroom at the Château de Bellevue, and reunited [in an 2017 exhibit at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC] for the first time since the 18th century. (http://arthistorynewsreport.blogspot.nl/2017/06/america-collects-eighteenth-century.html) Madame de Pompadour proved to be much more than a pretty mistress to Louis XV; she was one of the most celebrated art collectors of the time. A true tastemaker, her artistic choices helped influence the art scene in France and beyond. She first started collecting art in the 1740s to decorate the estates given to her by the king. For example, The Bath of Venus and The Toilet of Venus by Boucher... (https://www.francetoday.com/culture/museums-galleries/18th-century-french-art-america/
Uploaded on Jun 9, 2017 by Suzan Hamer

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