I'm very interested in history & would like to focus on Mme de Pompadour, who exerted a powerful influence on French arts & letters, and who built the beautiful little "chateau Bellevue" in my hometown Meudon (near Paris), which at the time was described as one of the perfect examples of French domestic architecture.
Mme de Pompadour was born Jeanne Poisson & became popular in Parisian circles when she founded her own salon, which was attended by philosophers & writers such as Voltaire. The king heard of her & made her his official mistress, giving her an apartment in the palace of Versailles below his.
Quickly she learnt to master the French court etiquette & had a powerful influence on Louis the XV, both on a political & artistic front.
She supported the development of "The encyclopedia" written by Diderot, created & facilitated the arise of the manufacture of porcelain of Sevres and tried to improve public facilities by commissioning a topographical survey of the country & its royal buildings.
Mme de Pompadour sponsored many artists, architects & furniture craftsmen and is known today as a patron of the arts.
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| The palace of Versailles |
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| Mme de Pompadour's apartment in Versailles |
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| Chateau Bellevue, Meudon France |
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| Chateau Bellevue |
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| Chateau Bellevue, Meudon |
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