Bust of Madame de Pompadour

This bust was commissioned by the superintendent of royal buildings and gardens, Charles-Francoi Le Normand de Tournehem, who was also the uncle of Madame de Pompadour. It was intended for her residence, the Château de Bellevue, which was completed shortly before the bust was finished.

The bust is a delicate portrait; the lace at the marquise's bodice, the petals of the flowers crowning her hair, and the wisps that curl into the locks of her elaborate coiffure demanded the most subtle kind of work. Pigalle aimed for accuracy, and the sculptural portrait accord with painted ones of the period by Jean-Marc Nattier or Maurice Quentin de La Tour.