OOH LA LA TOUR
Use the code SHADYDEAL and get 10% off each ticket.
The French woman has been an object of fascination for centuries. Why is she so chic? How does she maintain her allure? What can I do to capture some of that mystery? If those questions have ever nagged at you, there’s no need to hire a shopping consultant to get the answers. Just visit the Met instead!
The Metropolitan Museum is a true temple of feminine beauty, housing countless examples of the je ne sais quoi that defines French mystique. Portraits of royal mistresses—such as Madame de Pompadour and Madame du Barry; Belle Epoque beauties like Madame X (actually an American expatriate!); perfume bottles, royal jewellery boxes, make-up tables and much more of the paraphernalia of seduction: these all adorn the walls and rooms of the Met, and form the heart of our tour of French feminine power.
We’ll tell you about their lives, their loves and their secrets that will make you (and made European men of their time) respond with the highest of compliments: the involuntary gasp of “Ooh la la!”
On this fun and informative 2 hour tour, meet:
- Anne de Pisseleu, mistress of François I, the great Renaissance king, who started a fashion for see-through tops at Fontainebleau…
- Diane de Poitiers, the duchess who fascinated King Henri II (Catherine de Médicis’ husband) for his entire reign—although she was 19 years his senior….
- Madame de Montespan, the woman so beautiful and witty that of all his subjects, male or female, she alone could yell at the Sun King, Louis XIV,
- Madame du Barry, a woman who (among many things) initiated a mode for bathing in rose water….
And many more: mistresses and queens, salonnières and artistes, the women who fascinated France and now rule over the Met’s fantastic collection!
Take 10% OFF Each Ticket @ Checkout Using Code SHADYDEAL
*** Ticket price includes museum admission. Advanced purchase necessary.
Discounts available for seniors, students, and Metropolitan Museum members. ***
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Madame du Barry Porcelain Jewelry Case
This jewelry case with Sèvres porcelain plaques almost certainly belonged to Madame du Barry, the last mistress of King Louis XV—because at the center of the main plaque is a heart with an arrow through it, a symbol that Madame du Barry often used. Jewelry is a big part of Madame du Barry’s story: among other things, the famous diamond necklace that caused Marie Antoinette’s biggest scandal was originally made for Madame du Barry, because the King wanted to give her the most expensive necklace ever made…
Madame X
This portrait, known today mysteriously as “Madame X” portrays a society beauty of the Proust era called Virginie Gautreau. When it was first hung, Gautreau’s right shoulder strap hung down on her shoulder, and this caused a scandal, almost destroying Sargent’s career. But her whole look is astonishing in any case. Her neckline plunges far lower than was standard at the time, and her skin color is also remarkable. She is not only very white, as was standard for an elegant lady, but ultra-white. It seems that she covered all her visible flesh in lavender powder—but it is also rumoured that she ate arsenic wafers to make herself whiter!
Les Merveilleuses
There are no portraits of Empress Joséphine in the Met, but she appears in a number of subtler ways. This young woman, for instance, sports a look promoted by 3 of the great belles of Paris just after the revolution, known collectively as ‘Les Merveilleuses’ (the marvellous ladies), one of whom was the future Empress, then still the mistress of Napoléon’s boss, the government leader Barras. Given how much cloth—and how many petticoats—18th century women wore, this look was considered scandalous. It was even rumoured that les merveilleuses wetted down their tops like the women in a wet t-shirt competition!