Madame de Pompadour, Mistress to French King Louis XV Madame de Pompadour used the wealth at her command to patronize many highly skilled artists and craftsmen. She helped popularize the ornate, lightly colored, and highly decorative rococo style, epitomized by the sumptuous trimmings of her dress.
(By François Boucher [1703–1770], [oil on canvas]/© Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh/Bridgeman Images)