The Life of Madame de Pompadour, Royal Mistress and Advisor

The Life of Madame de Pompadour, Royal Mistress and Advisor Madame de Pompadour (December 29, 1721–April 15, 1764) was a French noblewoman and one of Louis XV’s primary mistresses. Even after her time as the king’s mistress came to an end, the Madame de Pompadour remained an influential friend and advisor to the king, especially as a patron of arts and philosophy. Fast Facts: Madame de Pompadour Known For: Beloved mistress of King Louis XV who became an unofficial advisor to the king and an influential leader of the artsFull Name: Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de PompadourAlso Known As: ReinetteBorn: December 29, 1721 in Paris, FranceDied: April 15, 1764 in Paris, FranceSpouse: Charles Guillaume Le Normant dÉtiolles (m. 1741; separated 1745)Children: Charles Guillaume Louis (1741-1742), Alexandrine Jeanne (1744-1754) Early Life: The Reinette Jeanne Antoinette was the daughter of Francois Poisson and his wife Madeline de la Motte. Although Poisson was her legal father and the husband of her mother, it is more likely that Jeanne’s biological father was Charles Franà §ois Paul Le Normant de Tournehem, a wealthy tax collector. When Jeanne Antoinette was four, Francois Poisson had to leave the country due to unpaid debts, and Tournehem became her legal guardian, thus giving even more credence to the rumors that he was her real father. Like many girls from families of means, Jeanne Antoinette was sent to be educated at a convent when she reached the age of five. The education was excellent, and she proved to be a popular student. However, she became ill and returned home four years later. Her mother took her to a fortuneteller, who predicted that Jeanne Antoinette would win the heart of a king. From that point on, those closest to her began calling her â€Å"Reinette† (a diminutive, or nickname, meaning â€Å"little queen†). She was educated at home by the best tutors. Tournehem arranged for her instruction in all the subjects deemed necessary for a woman’s education, in order that she might one day attract the interest of the king. Wife and Socialite In 1740, Jeanne Antoinette married Charles Guillaume Le Normant dÉtiolles, the nephew of her guardian Tournehem. Upon their marriage, Tournehem made Charles his sole heir and gave Jeanne Antoinette an estate (one situated near the royal hunting grounds) as a wedding gift. The young couple were only four years apart in age, and they did fall in love with each other. Jeanne Antoinette promised she would never be unfaithful- except for the king. They had two children: a son who died as an infant, and a daughter, Alexandrine, who died at the age of nine in 1753. As a stylish young married woman, Jeanne Antoinette spent time at many of the elite salons in Paris. She encountered many of the figures of the Enlightenment and, in time, began hosting her own salons at her Étiolles estate, which also attracted many leading figures of the day. Educated and curious, she became a notable and witty conversationalist in the company of these people. By 1744, Jeanne Antoinettes name was being mentioned at court, attracting the attention of Louis XV. Her estate was adjacent to the king’s hunting grounds in the forest of Sà ©nart, so she was permitted to watch the royal party from a distance. To get the king’s attention, however, she rode directly in front of his group- not once, but twice. The king took notice and sent her a gift of venison from the hunt. The king’s official mistress died in December 1744, leaving the position vacant, and Jeanne Antoinette was invited to Versailles to the masked ball celebrating the engagement of the Dauphin. At the ball, Louis publicly unmasked and declared his affection for Jeanne Antoinette. Becoming the Royal Mistress In order to be properly introduced at court, Jeanne Antoinette had to have a title. The king solved this by purchasing the marquisate of Pompadour and giving it to her, making her the Marquise de Pompadour. She became the king’s official mistress, living at Versailles in apartments near his, and was formally presented to the court in September 1745. Notably, she got along quite well with the queen consort, Marie LeszczyÅ„ska, and worked to have a good relationship with the royal family overall. Madame de Pompadour was more than just a mistress. Louis XV respected her intelligence and understanding of social nuance, and as a result, she functioned as an unofficial prime minister and advisor. She supported the First Treaty of Versailles, which created an alliance between former rivals France and Austria, and rallied support behind government ministers whose fiscal reforms helped France become one of the world’s wealthiest countries. Madame de Pompadours influence was not limited to the political sphere. Building on her years in the Paris salons, she championed scientific, economic, and philosophical exploration as well. Her patronage protected the growing theory of physiocracy (an economic theory that emphasized the value of agriculture) and defended the Encyclopà ©die, a fundamental text of the Enlightenment that was opposed by religious figures. Her activities and her common birth earned her enemies and made her the subject of malicious gossip, but her relationship with Louis and the royal family remained mostly unaffected. The King’s Friend and Advisor By 1750, Pompadour ceased being Louis’s mistress, in large part due to her many health problems, including recurring bronchitis, three miscarriages, and chronic headaches. Nevertheless, she maintained her influential position, since their relationship had become much more than just a sexual one. The king did not take a new official â€Å"favorite,† but instead installed a succession of temporary mistresses at a chateau away from court. According to most reports, his heart and loyalty remained with Pompadour. During this era, Pompadour turned her patronage to the arts, which she used to announce her loyalty to the king (through commissions honoring him) and to cultivate her own image. In 1759, she purchased a porcelain factory, which created many jobs and ultimately become one of the most famous porcelain makers in all of Europe. Pompadour herself learned to engrave under the tutelage of Jacques Guay and Francois Boucher, and she was a significant influence in the development of Rococo style. It is likely that she contributed a fair amount to the work of the artists under her patronage. In fact, some historians consider her an actual collaborator on many works. Death and Legacy Madame de Pompadours poor health eventually caught up to her. In 1764, she suffered from tuberculosis, and Louis himself cared for her during her illness. She died on April 15, 1764 at the age of 42, and was buried at the Couvent des Capucines in Paris. Because of her influence on French society and her unusual advisory role to the king, the Madame de Pompadours legacy has endured in pop culture, from the publication of biographies to an episode of Doctor Who to the naming of a particular diamond cut. Sources Algrant, Christine Pevitt.  Madame de Pompadour Mistree of France. New York: Grove Press, 2002.Eschner, Kat. â€Å"Madame de Pompadour Was Far More Than a ‘Mistress’.† Smithsonian, 29 December 2017, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/madame-de-pompadour-was-far-more-mistress-180967662/.Foreman, Amanda, and Nancy Mitford. Madame de Pompadour. New York Review of Books, 2001.Mitford, Nancy. â€Å"Jeanne-Antoinette Poission, marquise de Pompadour.† Encyclopaedia Brittanica, 25 Dec. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jeanne-Antoinette-Poisson-marquise-de-Pompadour.

How to Make a Rainbow Rose (and How It Works)

How to Make a Rainbow Rose (and How It Works) Have you seen a rainbow rose? Its a real rose, grown to produce petals in rainbow colors. The colors are so vivid, you may think pictures of the roses are digitally enhanced, but the flowers really are that bright! So, you may be wondering how the colors are made and whether the rose bushes that produce these flowers always bloom in vibrant colors. Heres how it works and how you can make a rainbow rose yourself. How Real Rainbow Roses Work The rainbow rose was developed by  Peter van de Werken, the owner of a Dutch flower company. While special roses are used, the plants are not bred to produce the rich colors. Actually, the rose bush would ordinarily produce white roses, but the stems of the flowers are injected over time with dyes so that petals form in bright single colors. If the flower isnt treated as it is growing, the blooms are white, not ​rainbow. While the rainbow is a special version of the technique, other color patterns are also possible. Its not a science trick you can achieve quite so well with your home rose bush, at least not without a lot of experimentation and expense, because most pigment molecules are either too large to migrate into the petals or else too toxic for the rose to flower. Special proprietary organic dyes said to be made from plant extracts are used to color the roses. Making Rainbow Roses at Home While you cant duplicate the exact effect, you can get a lighter version of a rainbow using a white rose and food coloring.  The rainbow effect is much easier to achieve with white or light-colored flowers that arent as woody as a rose. Good examples to try at home include carnations and daisies. If it has to be a rose, you can do the same project, but expect it to take longer. Start with a white rose. Its best if it is a rosebud because the effect relies on capillary action, transpiration, and diffusion in the flower, which takes some time.Trim the stem of the rose so that it is not extremely long. It takes more time for color to travel up a longer stem.Carefully split the base of the stem into three sections. Make the cuts lengthwise up the stem 1-3 inches. Why three sections? The cut stem is fragile and likely to break if you cut it into more parts. You can use color science to achieve the full rainbow using three colors - red, blue, yellow or yellow, cyan, magenta - depending what dyes you have available.Carefully bend the cut sections slightly away from each other. Now, one way to apply the dyes would be to bend the stems into three contains (e.g., shot glasses), each containing a single color of dye and a bit of water, but this is hard to accomplish without breaking the stems. An easier method is to use 3 small plastic baggies, 3 rubber bands, and o ne tall glass to hold the flower upright. Into each bag, add a small amount of water and several (10-20) drops of one color of dye. Ease a section of the stem into the bag so that it is immersed in the dyed water, and secure the bag around the stem with a rubber band. Repeat the process with the other two bags and colors. Stand the flower in a glass. Check to make sure each stem section is immersed in the liquid since the flower needs water to live.You may start to see color in the petals as quickly as half an hour, but expect to let the rose soak up dye overnight or possibly for a couple of days. The petals will be the three colors, plus the mixed colors, for petals receiving water from two parts of the stem at once. This way, youll get the whole rainbow.Once the flower is colored, you can trim off the cut section of stem and keep it in fresh water or a homemade flower food solution. Helpful Tips Flowers take up warm water more quickly than cold water.Keep the rose away from light and heat, since these can cause it to wilt and die too quickly.If you want to try injecting flowers with natural colors, learn about natural pigments you can use.