The "Makeup" of the Marquise: Boucher's Portrait of Pompadour at Her Toilette

Makeup has always played an intricate role in society. In this particular piece, painted by François Boucher in 1758, the mistress of King Louis XV, Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompidour, is depicted with a delicate brush in hand.

What is so interesting about this painting, is that it really demonstrates the puissance of makeup in the French court during the 18th century. To be adorned in the finest powders was a way of establishing oneself as a part of the French aristocracy.