Jeanne Bécu, Comtesse du Barry

Jeanne Becu, Comtesse du Barry, Louis XV"s last official mistress, appears in this 1770 portrait at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. Du Barry"s rise from obscure origins to the most prominent position at Versailles was one of the great social dramas of the Ancien Regime. Her portraits by Drouais, who became her preferred painter, are among the most famous images of French court life. Drouais was among the most successful portraitists of pre-Revolutionary France, working in the tradition of his father Hubert Drouais and studying under Carle van Loo, Natoire, and Boucher before establishing himself at court.

Drouais presents Du Barry with the full resources of his polished court technique, creating an image of beauty and refinement. The costume and setting reflect the taste of a woman who rivaled Pompadour as a patron of the decorative arts. The flesh painting shows Drouais at his most skillful, creating the luminous, porcelain-like complexion that was his trademark. The palette is warm and rich, with the sitter"s costume providing the primary color notes.