Kameja sa likom Luja XV kao sredstvo definisanja identiteta Madam de Pompadur na portretu njene toalete
Cameo with the image of Louis XV as a medium of defining Madame de Pompadour's identity in the portrait of her Toilette

Summary/Abstract: Focus of this paper are portrait „Madame de Pompadour at Her Toilette“ and cameo presented in form of bracelet on Pompaodur’s wrist with the image of the King, Louis XV. Wide analysis of the portrait, as well as life of Madame de Pompadour and her relationship with the King, leads to revealing an exact purpose and meaning of presented cameo. Portrait was painted in 1758, by Fracois Boucher, one of the Pompadour’s favorite artists. Scenes of female toilettes were popular in French art since 16th century and the period of French Renaissance. Those were usually sensual scenes which were emphasizing eroticism and seduction of presented female figures. In the eighteenth century, Madame de Pompadour made some differences in toilette rituals and raised them to a higher intellectual level. During her morning rituals she led serious conversations with her audience which contained prominent intellectuals of her time. This portrait must be observed and analyzed in such context, with no elements of prurience or coquetry, but deeper and more complex ideas. Madam de Pompadour was a well educated woman with wide range of interests. Even before she came to Versailles and become official misstates of the King, she was interested in various types of arts. As official mistress of the King, she became one of the most prominent female patrons of visual arts in 18th century and person whose portraits are among the most intellectually complex portraits of this period. For those reasons portrait of her toilette must be considered more seriously than only a presentation of the King’s mistress who is applying rouge on her lips. Here, make up and „making up“ are compared with the establishment of royal identity and „making up the royal self“, considering that she was bourgeoisie by birth. Portrait of the King is also supporting the process of making up her identity, but in a new way which is corresponding to the biographical facts from the Pompadour’s life. In the year when portrait was made, Madame de Pompadour was not King’s mistress any more. She became figure more important for the King - his very close friend and private counselor. She was the person whom King believed and whose opinion he appreciated the most. As his advisor she was standing behind many decisions which were signed by King. Presenting Louis XV on her wrist, in a form of cameo which was designed by her, Boucher literally placed Madame de Pompadour above the King. In that way she was defined as a female who holds King on her wrist as a piece of jewelry which could be removed whenever she wants, but still it would never be removed due to the sincere friendship between the two of them.

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