Drouais - Madame de Pompadour at her embroidery frame

François-Hubert Drouais (1727-1775) painted Louis XV's mistress, Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, in the last year of her life. The Marquise de Pompadour (1721-1764) was a true patron of the Arts and Letters and set the tone for fashion. The painting is signed and dated on the work table begun in April 1763. The head is painted on a rectangle of canvas inserted into the painting. It was probably painted from life. The rest of the picture was completed in May 1764, a month after her death. The simple "robe à la française" is made of silk fabric painted with garlands of oriental-influenced flowers, decorated with French embroidery and trimmed with ribbons. This painting is the last of many portraits of Madame de Pompadour, executed by some of the most famous painters of the time. It is kept in the National Gallery in London.