Francois Boucher - Toilette of Venus [1751]

Francois Boucher - Toilette of Venus [1751], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV, greatly admired Boucher (1703 - 1770) and was his patroness from 1747 until her death in 1764. This famous work is one of a pair that she commissioned for the dressing room at Bellevue, her château near Paris. In 1750 she had acted the title role in a play, staged at Versailles, and while this is not a portrait, a flattering allusion may well have been intended.

The bodies of the goddess of love and her cupids are soft, supple, and blond. The carved and gilded rococo sofa, the silk, velvet, and gold damask drapery, and the incense burner are heavy and elaborate enough for the Victorian era. It seems quite reasonable that this picture would have appealed to millionaire William K. Vanderbilt, who bought it in the late nineteenth century.

[Oil on canvas, 108.3 x 85.1 cm]