#madame du pompadour

[iridessence]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CdbsVXWPZSn/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

[sangrefae]

ive been reminded of my “stephanivien is the same as the tenth doctor” agenda and realized i never posted this here

[rcvandenboogaard]

Zin in revolutie. Robert Darnton over Parijs 1748-1789

De bestorming van de Bastille op 14 juli 1789 – die geldt als het begin van de Franse revolutie – was niet uitsluitend, of zelfs maar in geringe mate het gevolg van de filosofische inzichten van Montesquieu, Voltaire, d’Alembert, Rousseau of andere denkers van de Verlichting – meent de Amerikaanse historicus Robert Darnton. Ook andere, meer structurele problemen als de opkomst van een moderne…

[chicnormal3]

Madame de pompadour & Madame du Barry (both maîtresses of Louis XV)

[ourstaturestouchtheskies]

taylor swift lyrics x colors x textiles in art – blue

Tim McGraw – Taylor Swift // Portrait of Marie-Joseph Peyre – Marie-Suzanne Giroust 💙 Tim McGraw – Taylor Swift // Lady in the Boudoir – Gustav Holweg-Glantschnigg 💙 A Place in This World – Taylor Swift // Portrait of Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester – Jean-Étienne Liotard 💙 Dear John – Speak Now // Young Woman in a Blue Dress – Jacopo Negretti 💙 State of Grace – Red // Portrait of Mrs. Matthew Tilghman and her Daughter – John Hesselius 💙 Red – Red // An Unknown Man – Joseph Highmore 💙 All Too Well – Red // Portrait of a Man with a Quilted Sleeve – Titian 💙 Everything Has Changed – Red // Portrait of the Marquis de Saint-Paul – Jean-Baptiste Greuze 💙 Starlight – Red // Mrs. Richard Brown – John Hesselius 💙 Run – Red // Judith with the Head of Holofernes – Felice Ficherelli 💙 This Love – 1989 // Fair Rosamund – John William Waterhouse 💙 Delicate – Reputation // Miss Elizabeth Ingram – Joshua Reynolds 💙 Gorgeous – Reputation // Marguerite Hessein, Lady of Rambouillet de la Sablière – workshop of Henri and Charles Beaubrun 💙 Dancing with Our Hands Tied – Reputation // George Albert, Prince of East Frisia – Johann Conrad Eichler

Cruel Summer – Lover // Peter August Friedrich von Koskull – Michael Ludwig Claus 💙 Lover – Lover // Lady Oxenden – Joseph Wright of Derby 💙 Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince – Lover // Portrait of Ivan Ivanovich Betskoi – Alexander Roslin 💙 Paper Rings – Lover // Young Woman in a Blue Dress – Jacopo Negretti 💙 London Boy – Lover // Queen Henrietta Maria with Sir Jeffrey Hudson – Anthony van Dyck 💙 Afterglow – Lover // Portrait of Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Golitsyn – Fyodor Rokotov 💙 Christmas Tree Farm – Christmas Tree Farm // Portrait of Mary Ruthven, Lady van Dyck – Anthony van Dyck 💙 invisible string – folklore // Two Altar Wings with the Visitation of Mary – unknown artist 💙 invisible string – folklore // Portrait of Madame de Pompadour – François Boucher 💙 peace – folklore // Fair Rosamund – John William Waterhouse 💙 hoax – folklore // Portrait of Charles le Normant du Coudray – Jean-Baptiste Perronneau 💙 coney island – evermore // Portrait of the Marquis de Saint-Paul – Jean-Baptiste Greuze 💙 Carolina – Carolina // Mrs. Daniel Sargent – John Singleton Copley 💙 Bejeweled – Midnights // Elsa Elisabeth Brahe – David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl 💙 The Great War – Midnights // Portrait of Françoise Marie de Bourbon – attributed to François de Troy 💙 Hits Different – Midnights // Mrs. Benjamin Pickman – John Singleton Copley

[lz-didyounotice]

11th doctor Mission : Save the king

This gif do not belong to me.

Heyy! This fic is a little longer then the last one. Wanted to do a propper adventure for the doctor and Clara to follow. This one is also cought in a time paradox. You will be presented as Jeanne du Berry, Favorite of the King Louis XV. I inspired myself with the plot of "The girl in the fireplace". Hope you enjoy !

Froggit-

Warning : Could be concidered Angst at the end, with a preestablished relationship. Mention of prostitution. As always, english is not my frist language.

------------------------

“Jeanne du Berry '' was one of the most beautiful women the 18th century had ever seen. From Lorraine to Paris, her beauty was jealous of many, as she attracted all eyes wherever she went. A tall and skinny figure, adorning wonderful pale skin. Her blue eyes looked so innocent, yet she knew how to make use of her charms. Her Long brown hair bleeding into blond as she walked amongst the sun.

She was also known as the favorite of the king, the one who had been part of his most desired dreams by the ladies of the court. Yet, by his side, she never wanted to change who she was and try to be another woman with the numerous étiquettes she was supposed to follow. It wasn’t her place to be. All she wanted was to love the king, make him laugh, let him know he deserved to be treated like a normal individual, to let his title aside when he was by hers. To love him for who he was, and not what he was supposed to be.

After the death of the previous queen, Jeanne rose to power. The king’s daughters all wanted to see her fall, to see her lying in the dirt like the prostitute she was. A whore who had no right to be by their father's side. 

Fortunately enough, Jeanne had what it took to ignore the pretentious princesses all too worried about their reputation to care for their father's feelings. And despite giving her best to be kind around her, something was lurking. Wanting her to be a part of something bigger. A piece of machinery well wired who needed guidance in the more gruesome ways.

As she entered her quarters, the king's valet was waiting for her. 

"Sa Majesté souhaite que vous l’honoriez de votre présence ce soir pour le bal..."

(His Majesty wishes you to honor him with your presence tonight for the ball...)

"Faites-lui savoir que je me présenterais avec joie à ses côtés."

(Let him know that I would gladly present myself at his side.)

—--------------

As the doors of a blue police booth opened, a little brunette had taken a look outside, outstanded by the beautiful scenery. 

The doctor hadn’t lied. Versailles was beautiful at this time of the year. In her dark blue dress, she also looked magnificent, a candy to the eye some would say. Her hair, up in a simple updo, refusing to wear one of those tall and overly done wigs (She had tried to before, but it was too itchy to even keep. Plus, if she needed to run, it would be a disaster). 

As she turned around, she fell eye to eye with the doctor trying to activate the chameleon system of the Tardis. For the occasion, he had put on a magnificent Blue-tailed coat, with an intricate chemise, adorned with a waistcoat of a darker shade of blue. He hadn’t put a wig on either and preferred to hide it with a magnificent officer hat. 

“Doctor, Hurry up, I don’t think we should be late for such an event! ”

“There is only so much I can do Clara !” Said the doctor trying to make the Tardis invisible.

“There seems to be something preventing her from disappearing… A force field or something of the sort. Which is weird since I closed the last one. ” He continued, still searching for the issue.

“Last one ?”

“Yes, well it wasn’t quite a force field, more of a time portal. Had a wonderful night with Madame de Pompadour on the occasion. Wonderful woman I might add.” He said while finally resolving their little camouflage problems. “Ah ha!”

“We may go now ?“ Pressed Clara, still waiting by the door.

“Yes !”

—--------------

The Ballroom was extraordinarily beautiful. Filled with too many of the richest people in the country. If she was being honest, Clara found it rather charming, yet felt a little uncomfortable around so many gorgeous women and men. 

Elbows locked with the doctors, the assembly awaited for the king to arrive, rearranging themself as he was announced. 

“Sa majesté le roi !”

As dictated the etiquette, Clara and the doctor bowed before him and returned to position once he had passed. The brunette found it rather hilarious, trying to retain a smile as she graced the floor. Checking for the doctor's eyes, she found him deep in thought, as if he had seen something he had wished to unsee. 

But before long another person was announced. 

“Madame la Comtesse du Barry !”

And here she was, the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She wasn't wearing any fancy wigs, her hair let down on her shoulders, decorated with white and long feathers. Her dress was assorted to the cream-white coat the king was adorning. Her trail seemed to be as long as the ballroom as she gently walked towards him.

Once before the king, she presented herself, but as she did so, her eyes couldn't quit his, making the others start chattering, breaking the silence that once stood in the room. And as she did it two other times, Clara looked at the doctor, confused by what was happening before her. 

But soon enough, the chatter was silenced by the music starting, a soft yet charming baroque rhythm playing in the assembly. And as the crowd arranged to dance, The Comtesse had in mind something rather scandalous for both her and Her Majesty. Taking his hand in hers, she accompanied him to the middle of the ballroom and started dancing with him. As everyone stopped to look at them, the Doctor couldn’t stop himself from seeing something he would have wanted to avoid.

All he could see was the golden bracelet around her right wrist, a piece of jewelry he knew wasn’t what it seemed. A shimmer perhaps? Whoever was dancing with the King wasn’t the real woman, a copycat at best, and looking at most of the guests, some wore the same one, hiding it under exaggerated sleeves. 

“Doctor? Is something wrong…?”

“Very wrong…” Catching the girl's hand, he went to one of the hallways, trying to drown out the noise as he thought of a plan. “I guess I know now why I had so much trouble with the Tardis. We might have some uninvited guests… and a portal inside the castle.” He let out flapping his hands about.

“Why would someone want to invade Versailles in the 18th century? ”

“Lots of reasons…! An alien could easily overthrow someone else to get what he wants from it, by preparing a future terrain… Now, what I don’t understand is why choosing the favorite of the king and not the king himself.”

“Maybe he is the next target…? ”

“They would have already done it. Or-” Then it occurred to him that the king had been gone for months before the ball. Giving enough time for those who wanted to hurt him to take place within the court. “Or it was easier to blend in…” He turned toward Clara, excited by his breakthrough, but the frown on Clara's face made him get on track.

—--------------

Being attached to her bed was not really how she expected her reunion with the king. Her arms stretched too far for her to reach her feet tied to the end of the bed, unable to move. She was stuck and worried sick. Worried for her son, worried for the king- 

The room which seemed so calm and charming was now giving her chills as she knew she would soon be killed by those imposters. All of them had left her alone, wanting to partake in the king's murder. The silence was slowly killing her. She had tried to cry for help, but the music seemed too loud for someone to hear. 

Tired of her luck, she took a deep breath one last time and called, her vocal cords trying to hold as she begged to be let out of this situation. 

And soon enough commotion  was noticed by the woman, making her cry once more. Begging whoever was in the hallway to walk into the room. A weird whirring noise was heard, then the lock gave out, leading the door to open.

Before her, stood a tall youthful young man, with unruly brown hair, sticking up in some places. Behind him, a beautiful woman, seemingly the same age as him, wearing a magnificent blue dress. 

“Excuse me, sir…, do you happen to know how to get me out of those bindings ?”

“Please do not Sir… Just call me the Doctor. ” The man said while coming closer to the headboard. Using his sonic screwdriver manages to get her out of the metallic bindings.

“ The Doctor? What a particular name… Is it your occupation or is it a title ?”

“More of a title.”

“What a pity, your hands seem adept at such handy work.” Said Jeanne as her own were finally freed. Soon enough she was off the bed, standing before the two travelers. “Regrettably, there’s no time for discourse, for my liege is threatened with poison by one of those deceitful fellows. One has assumed my likeness, and I dread I may be implicated in the scheme.”

“We may be of assistance!“

“I would have expected as such.”

“Those individuals as you call them, what do you know of them ?” Asked clara, stepping beside the doctor.

"From what I saw, they resemble humans with crystal antlers protruding from their foreheads. Lacking noses, they still appeared capable of breathing. One among them spoke of a civil conflict back in their homeland, mentioning something termed 'the hour of joy,' if memory serves."

“Ow! How stupid could I be! Of course!” Said the Doctor, slapping his forehead frustrated he had let such information sleep through. “ To flee the war they had to have a way out. That’s why there is a time vortex opened. They want to kill the king so it would be easier to find a new home for their people in one of the most influential countries of her century.”

“Doctor? Do we have a plan ?”

“Need to find the portal and send them somewhere other than here.”

“How do we do that ?”

“Simple” The doctor confirmed while scanning the room. “As expected. Jeanne, has there been any renovation in your room while the king was away ?”

“A painting of the king had been installed in my room…”

“Clever! Now could you show me where that would be ?”

Not losing any time, Jeanne convail them in a small room, adjacent to the bed. A rather large library awaited behind. In the middle of the room, was a soft red sofa, invaded by all sorts of books and before it stood a medium painting of the king.

Putting out his sonic, the doctor took it upon himself to jump on a chair and try to open what was hiding the portrait. “Here you are” As the painting got off the wall, a mix of wires had been discovered, a large panel hidden behind.

After reversing its polarity, the doctor finally was able to close the portal. Making whoever wanted to enter it appear on another planet that wasn’t Earth. Now, all they had to do was to get the imposters back to their ship.

—--------------

Jeanne was confused, yet still grateful for the help of the doctor. The ball was still going, and the final moments were to arrive soon, her dear king would be taken away. With a loud bang, the doors at the end of each hall opened, leaving the Comtesse now the center of attention. 

She entered furious, still in the dress she had on this morning. Her corset was killing her, but running to get to the scene was not an option. The doctor had told her about the shimmers. How certain of the guests could also be traitors. But all you could think of was getting this imposter off her lover. 

“My liege! I fear I am not the one you are holding in your arms!” Jeanne was still running toward him, not caring about the looks the other guests were giving her. 

The music had stopped, and panic seemed to ensue as everyone saw double. Thanks to the doctor the situation was taken care of. Explaining what was happening to the king, it wasn’t long after he was out of the fake Jeanne's arms, trying to get back to his favorite. Still connected to their ship, the individual fled. The doctor promised them a safer and harmless way out. Welcoming them to an inhabited planet where they could thrive again.

—--------------

In the end, everything went well, no one was hurt, and the king was saved. He had even tried to get compensation for the help the doctor had offered. But he had refused, claiming it was just another Saturday for him.

Jeanne had followed the doctor and Clara back to the Tardis, wanting to know more about the two time travelers. It was irrational, yet she seemed to be attracted to this incredibly gentleman. Clara had gone ahead, entering the Tardis while the Comtesse stayed to discuss with the timelord.

“So, tell me. Am I to ever see you again?”

“We weren’t to meet in the first place.“ Let out the doctor.

"That is regrettable. I would have desired to learn more about you."

“You can always ask.”

"Can you be truthful? Your eyes betray a distant presence. Why must it be so melancholic?" Looking into his eyes, all she could see was dread, something old that still lingered.

“An old friend of mine had been missing. I searched everywhere, but I’ll find her at some point.”

"If she holds such significance to you, perhaps she is nearer than you anticipate."

“How could she be ?”

"I suppose destiny plays a role? And it's undeniable that you're attractive; I wouldn't fault her for desiring your return."

The doctor couldn't help himself but look at her. Something was screaming at him to look closer into it, to try and understand, but shoving a sonic screwdriver into someone’s face wasn’t a good approach.

“Have we met before ?”

"I don't believe we have. But something suggests it won't be the final occasion either."

“How can you be so sure ?” The Doctor said while trying to find out why he was so attracted to her.

"Life unfolds in mysterious manners. So do I. To my knowledge, no one is born twice."

“I can guess of a few species that can.”

“You're the Bowtie maniac, you should be the one who knows.”

The doctor looked as if he had seen a ghost. “I’m not -(A bow tie maniac)”. In the whole universe, there was only one person who called him this, that he accepted it from. Locking eyes with hers, all he could see was how old they seemed, how much they lived, despite seeming so young. But it made sense. After all (Y/N) had told him about certain past lives. Never giving a name to not disturb time paradoxes that weren’t meant to be. She did mention having had a peculiar life in the 18th century, falling in love with the king. But never would he have guessed for you to have been born as Jeanne de Becu. La Comtesse du Barry.

“Madame! Le roi vous attend !” They heard being called. The Valet of the king interrupted the many questions that had yet to be asked, but it was better to not know and let destiny be what it had done best. Reunite one another.

Jeanne felt there was something more and she wanted to know. But it would ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it? Caressing his confused face with her right hand, she smiled at him. A simple smile, that made his hearts flutter. 

"I suppose this is merely a 'farewell,' Doctor. I'll see you when the time arrives, my Bowtie Maniac." And as her hand left his cheek, he felt his hearts hurt, being left once more by the woman he loved the most in the entire universe.

—--------------

Bonus : 

The Tardis felt silent, sad even. The tension was too much for Clara, and she couldn’t help herself from asking what was going on. Why was he looking so distraught, and was being so quiet as he brought her home?

“Who was she ?”

“Jeanne du Berry? Favorite of the King. A more pleasant way to say concubine. She was born in a monastery. But she became a lady in waiting, then worked in a brothel. She got the visit of a rich noble from the court that presented her to the king. It was love at first sight.”

“And to you ?”

“I didn’t know her by that name. At least never heard her mentioning it as one of her previous incarnations. She never wanted me to know.”

“Why would she hide it ?”

“Paradoxes. If I had known, I might never have wanted to meet the younger version of herself. Avoid it even.”

“What happened to her ?”

“I lost her” Seeing the sad face of Clara, the Doctor still wanted to see her smile, and stop worrying about what went through his head. “But I’m sure we will meet again. Travel together once more like we always did. I’m sure you two would love each other.” Finally let out the doctor full of hope.

[6-and-7]

Time Ramvent Day 30: The Girls in the Fireplace It's the end of Time Ramvent, but the moment has been prepared for... with Jodie Whittaker's 'The Girl in the Fireplace'! It's a thrilling space adventure in pre-Revolutionary France! The Post Office is the only thing ensuring time runs properly. Yaz is about to throw hands with Madame du Pompadour. The Doctor is on a horse.

[dutch-and-flemish-painters]

Jacques-Albert Senave - Sales rooms at the Elysée Palace in Paris in 1797 - 1797

The Élysée Palace (French: Palais de l'Élysée) is the official residence of the President of the French Republic. Completed in 1722, it was built for nobleman and army officer Louis Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, who had been appointed Governor of Île-de-France in 1719. It is located on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré near the Champs-Élysées in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, the name Élysée deriving from the Elysian Fields, the place of the blessed dead in Greek mythology. Important foreign visitors are hosted at the nearby Hôtel de Marigny, a palatial residence.

The palace has been the home of personalities such as Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764), Nicolas Beaujon (1718–1786), Bathilde d'Orléans (1750–1822), Joachim Murat (1767–1815), and Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry (1778–1820). On 12 December 1848 under the Second Republic the French Parliament passed a law declaring the building the official residence of the President of France. The Élysée Palace, which contains the presidential office and residency, is also the meeting place of the Council of Ministers, the weekly meeting of the Government of France presided over by the President of the Republic.

Jacques-Albert Senave (1758–1823) was a Flemish painter mainly active in Paris during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He is known for his genre scenes, history paintings, landscapes, city views, market scenes and portraits.

[resinfish]

On my workbench: from MHD's Madame du Pompadour pattern, a gown inspired by my good friend Reed and his girl Abby.

We've been talking about a dress inspired by her from this pattern for like 5 years now so I finally decided to do it. (Now, this is not exactly the dress we've been talking about for 5 years now, it's just a tribute. JoAnn no longer makes the fabric I was going to use for the dress we've been talking about for 5 years now, so this is just a glam tribute.)

As y'all can see, I've fallen down a rabbit hole of embellishment on the center panel of the underskirt (and I'm not done!), but that's okay because that's how the pattern's written, it's meant to be a kitchen sink dress.

Definitely the most fun I've ever had stabbing myself repeatedly with hand needles! And I've been waiting for an excuse to use that broken earring (the gold bow with the dangly pearl) in a garment.

I tried to sew the sequin ribcage on the center panel of the bodice with my machine at first, but it warped the curve of the "ribs," so I guess more stabbing is in my future... but I've been having so much fun, and I'm so excited to finally show him this thing once I'm finished, that I really don't gaf.

More pics coming as I progress!

[gilsart]

Ciao! Volevo chiederti se avessi dei consigli per libri su Friederich in italiano (o in inglese) & dove comprarli. Io sono riuscitx a trovare solo quello di Alessandro Barbero. Adoro i tuoi disegni e il tuo blog! (trovo molto ironico il fatto che io abbia dovuto riscrivere questo messaggio perché Fritz (il mio gatto) si è fatto una camminata sulla tastiera)

la gioia di scrivere i post in italiano finalmente 🧎🏻‍♂️ CIAO

allora, anzitutto grazie dei complimenti,, 😭 ho dei libri in italiano (e inglese), però ti devo avvertire che sono molto pochi e non si trovano tanti romanzi, la maggior parte sono (tristemente ma comprensibilmente) in tedesco, ma ti faccio comunque una lista partendo da quelli c:

re in prussia di rafael sabatini – conta che non lo trovi in libreria, devi comprarlo usato oppure affidarti a questo link se riesci a leggere le cose online senza problemi (io non riesco e l'ho trovato usato), è sia in italiano che in inglese, ma è pure del '44 (o '47? non ricordo) quindi il linguaggio è quello che è... in italiano è un po' tedioso, fritz è un queer disney villain e il protagonista è un oc di sabatini antipatico come pochi, però... if you squint hard enough...

federico il grande di william f. reddaway, è una biografia, io ho letto solo i pezzi che mi interessano per il progetto e ti posso dire tranquillamente che ci sono delle imprecisioni storiche perché è un libro del suo tempo... ma ci sono le figure!! e ha una copertina figa. pure questo lo trovi usato, sia in italiano che in inglese

stesso titolo, ma di nancy mitford – biografia, la trovi usata, sia italiano che inglese, è divertente da leggere ma non ci sono le fonti </3 quindi è un po' tutto un "source: trust me bro". sempre suoi, "voltaire innamorato" e "madame du pompadour", il primo in italiano, il secondo in inglese, sempre usati

the sorrows of frederick di romulus linney – è un copione di uno spettacolo, PIENO di imprecisioni storiche, solo in inglese (e usato, che te lo dico a fare) keith non esiste, katte è solo "hans katte" e appare per tipo 2 scene per poi morire tragicamente, però è divertente da leggere e se avessi un euro per ogni volta che le emorroidi vengono menzionate in questo libro avrei due euro, che non è molto, ma è strano che sia successo due volte

bad gays di huw lemmey e ben miller ha un capitolo che lo riguarda, esiste in italiano (non usato!!) e ci sono delle illustrazioni bellissime, ma ti dirò... a una certa mi ha sorpreso con un f slur e ho detto "HUH??" e ci sono delle parti che mi hanno un po' confuso storicamente parlando, però carino... pure se inizia con un pezzo di "la jouissance"... bleurgh

la musica del re di gabriele formenti, te lo metto solo per correttezza perché è nella mia libreria ma me ne vergogno. è orrendo. terrificante. mi ha distrutto psicologicamente così tanto che mi sono fermatx a pagina 42 e ho detto BASTA non ne posso più man che cos'è questa merda... a un certo punto ti colpisce con un "[inserire nome di un personaggio femminile] si adattava benissimo alla corte di potsdam" girl who tf 😭 no she didn't 😭

e basta, finché ricordo questi sono quelli che ho a parte quello di barbero! abbi pazienza ma ti sto rispondendo mentre sto in stazione quindi non li ho tutti sottomano per controllare </3 ce ne sono altri in tedesco che sono belle letture, se mi viene in mente qualcos'altro ti faccio un fischio!

[besidesitstoowarm]

"The Unicorn and the Wasp" thoughts

this is the best historical of the davies era. sorry

i really think it has exactly the right vibe. charles dickens was a good pick bc he was instantly recognizable (unlike madame du pompadour) but not too famous to portray normally (unlike shakespeare). agatha cristie, again, extremely recognizable, but not ubiquitous. i imagine many people like myself are more familiar with the "vibe" of her stories than the actual content. and i think a fun murder mystery is a better use of a historical figure than a mostly-unrelated ghost-not-ghost thing that's mostly about the doctor's survivor's guilt

i loved the setting, the costumes. the scene where the doctor is dying of cyanide and needs to shock himself out of it is ICONIC, i can't believe i'd completely forgotten about it. HOW IS HARVEY WALLBANGER ONE WORD. and then revealing all the secrets and learning the wasp secret. condolences on the dead gay son

i was kind of caught up, though, on the doctor and donna AGAIN being confused for a couple. i mean, i get why it happens all the time in "bones", bc they're doing a will-they-won't-they and the two leads ARE secretly in love w each other. but the doctor and donna aren't, and they don't even act like they would be. and people assume it straightaway without even talking to them first. why is that?

and i think it's another example of the kind of. inevitability, of the season ending. in the same way that there were so many hints about "bad wolf" both in the text (kept coming up as graffiti, code names, in welsh) and in the music (had its own theme). it drew rose towards that ending, both as an active choice (she'd heard the words bad wolf and knew they were linked to her somehow) and as the creators' doylist decisions (the music again). the characters in this story recognize that there is a link between the doctor and donna so profound that they can only conceive of it as romantic. and this has been true since the beginning! she appeared on the tardis in "runaway bride" bc this is her DESTINY. it was always going to happen! she's been dead since the beginning!!!

i don't know if that was intended but it's the only thing that makes sense to me. we know from last episode that the cut-off hand drew them to jenny, who wasn't created until they landed. paradoxes exist. donna keeps getting drawn closer and closer to forming the relationship that is so profound it echoes back through her every adventure with the doctor. doctordonna, two souls in one body. the bad wolf was rose/tardis, it was THE representation of the rose-doctor relationship, that's why the theme played every time they got codependent in s2. the doctor and donna aren't in love, not like he was with rose, but it's the same kind of relationship, melding at intimate seams until it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. it's an intimacy that leads to extreme vulnerability which is why he's able to violate her mind like that

the episode is too good for me to have much to say about it so that's what i thought about instead. the echoes, the echoes. this was always going to happen.

[jemimaland]

dream girl book recommendations ✨

girly, smart book recommendations that will make people think you're cool.

anything by eve babitz or joan didion (but i recommend eve's hollywood and play it as it lays)

a biography of a woman from history (like marie antoinette, madame du pompadour, the romanov sisters)

the virgin suicides by jeffery eugenides

the new me by halle butler

breasts and eggs by mieko kawakami

last summer in the city by gianfranco calligarich

summer crossing by truman capote

bonjour tristesse by francois sagan

gigi and the cat by colette

the woman in the purple skirt by natsuko imamura

any persephone book (but especially to bed with grand music by marghanita laski)

I'm glad my mom died by jennette mccurdy

girl, interrupted by susanna kaysen

fleabag: the special edition by phoebe waller-bridge

winter in sokcho by elisa shua dusapin

the vegetarian by han kang

[hekateinhell]

aadfjyrfhhj the Princess comparison between Louis and Daniel 👸👑 If Armand is king then Louis is his queen who he uses his best courtly manners with and Daniel is the royal consort who he is an absolute freak with. The Madam du Pompadour if you will.

LMAO 😭

see I thought I had it sorted out months ago that Armand was Lestat's madam du pompadour, this is getting as contrived and incestous as the actual royals

[lafcadiosadventures]

Madame Putiphar Readalong. Book Two, Chapter XXIV:

An intimate/claustrophobic chapter this week, only just two characters in a room full of palpable tension. One of them will win this battle, but perhaps not the war. It is still extremely satisfying to see Debby’s psychological evolution, from silently suffering, too afraid to call attention on herself to being completely cold blooded and ready to defend herself.

detail of “Two ladies duelling with pistols”. Engraving, 1792. Wellcome Collection.

Gave de Villepastour decides to pay Debby a visit, to thank her for staying silence and not telling her husband his various instances of harassment and rape attempts. (and to give the whole thing yet another try)

To add insult to injury, Gave addresses Deborah as “countess” and “milady”, after having claimed to be unsure about her title when Patrick tried to prove he hadn’t murdered her (as we know, the truth is irrelevant to Gave, all that matters is powerplay)

Once again Gave approaches sex as a contract (the typical post 1700's libertine novel scene where the rake exposes the reasons for the waif to accept having sex, combining intellectual arguments, monetary persuasion, and a pedagogy against religious prudery, from Sade’s, Choderlos’ and Diderot’s rakes, to Balzac’s, and surely many more)

We are told this is happening at the same time Patrick was kissing Putiphar’s hem, which politically speaking, stresses the similarities and differences in their situations. In a metaphysical level it probably stresses their status as twin souls, predestined halves, they are both in danger at the same time, but as always, the political aspect is inseparable from the mystical and the heaviest here, the threat comes from aristocrats in a position to play with their would-be-food.

Gave continues to be gross and insulting (and stupid, interpreting Debby’s silence as his having a chance), Debby is surprisingly calm and in control. She reads though Gave too, asserting that he fears ridicule more than anything.

Gave retorts by offering Debby what he frames as the opportunity of a lifetime: being pimped out by him to the king himself (this will be extremely relevant in chapters to come), since Putiphar is “old” and Kings bore easily (or so Gave thinks, Pompadour was skilled at changing roles and staying relevant)

Debby is rightfully outraged, but why should the Marquis be respectful towards her, when he holds so much power over her in his hands? He kindly reminds her of the trial in Tralee. He can make an example out of Patrick with extreme ease... unless she agrees to let him fuck her.

It’s important that while Debby is disgusted, she arguments that she refuses because she trusts Villepastour to break his vow immediately as soon as he gets what he wants.

Villepastour replies with manipulation: Since he claims he has to dishonour himself if Deborah wants him to help Patrick, it’s only fair for her to be dishoured by him to return the favour (once again, transactional language, he only offers her “(...)un échange de déshonneur contre déshonneur”. He gets a good line after that, very “poésie du mal” to borrow from Balzac’s Lucien. Romantics loved an Aesthetic of Evil and this is a skilled example of that, even if Borel has not been interested in making Villepastour at all appealing:

“Believe me, be wise; let’s descend together in the abyss of evil, and let’s do it in our holiday clothes; let’s do it happily. One says the very bottom is covered in flowers where those who have dared reach its appalling edges and descended in its awful gorges get intoxicated with the rarest, proscribed pleasures. Let us not defy crime: it is, like certain women with an ugly mask, repulsive by its vulgarity; but often, just as with these women, it has secret beauties concealing ineffable pleasures as well.”

(tr. By @sainteverge )

“Believe me, be wise”: wake up from religious slumber that deprives you from “criminal”pleasures. A very Enlightenment argument. Which pleasures are labelled criminal? And by whom? Debby rejects his sadian/diderotian seduction techniques. She repeatedly claims it’s precisely religion which gives her the strength to reject his seduction and know he is not to be trusted. (which is extremely interesting. Borel reverses the Enlightenment reversal of the trope favouring religion endowing the waif with purity and strength. Let us keep in mind that Borel will defend Sade as a creative force later on, -a really brave stance, but more on that in the relevant chapter!!- )(SO. How does Borel feel personally about this type of scene, and about organized religion? Why does he chose to make his heroine a deeply catholic person? Is Debby’s trust in God undeserved? After all the narrator has also defined God as a torturer... who actively enjoys testing his most devoted follower’s faiths through suffering)

Gave also praises ugliness in women as a beauty that only the initiated can appreciate (makes me think of Hugo’s Josianne)(overall, a highly Romantic paragraph)

Debby rejects Villepastour, who decides if he cannot win her over intellectually he will this time have her by force. Not today. Debby pulls a pair of guns from under a cushion. She calmly asks him to leave and never to return since the next time he shows up she will kill him. There is fear and surprise in Gave, but even then he explicitly exposes the illuminist argument (which he has also used the time he broke into her home, with colonial undertones): he only wanted to help her! He wanted to extirpate from her mind the bourgeois morals and religious constraints entrapping it. And he jokes, the disgusting man dares to joke, that if he feels the “bellicose impulse” once more he will answer to her pistols with the armour and jousting weapons of his forefathers.

Debby is also keeping her cool. She attacks him right where it hurts him the most, his reputation and status as a nobleman:

“Monsieur the marquis, the deed seems hazardous to me, if I am to believe the chronicles; your ancestors were cleaning armours, but not wearing any.” Monsieur de Gave marquis de Villepastour was not expecting such a sharp comeback to his boasting; with his mouth clamped shut and a saddened air he walked out; and lady Deborah led him out with her pistols in hand and much politeness.”

(tr. once again by sainteverge)(read it here!!)

Extremely satisfying. And rare. A woman taking arms to defend herself? Seems rare to me, a person who has read a very limited ammount of authors of the period :P I can only think of Balzac's Laurence de Cinc-Cygne and the female spies in Les chouans.... there’s Fantine fighting back to her aggressor, and Madame Thenardier is also physically dangerous but is a different trope altogether...

[beyondmistland]

Are the reach/Tyrell’s more about women converting to the standard of a lady and the restrictions with it like in historic France or are they about wielding soft power hard? Thinking of Charles Vii or Henry the ii of France How do you think Margeary (if renlys plan worked) would’ve dealt with Robert having a known mistress like his own dianne de Poitiers he wouldn’t give up or anges sorel?

I imagine Margaery's outlook would be similar to Catelyn's. She might not like it (which is totally fair!) but she probably understands that in Westeros its acceptable for men to sleep around (because double standards suck). So as long as Robert sired an heir and a spare on her, Margaery might be OK with him having a mistress (especially since that means she'll have to suffer less rough, drunk sex). That said, if the mistress tries to cut in on the Tyrell monopoly you can bet the gloves are coming off. So a lot depends on who the mistress is (highborn or lowborn, foreign or native, etc.) and whether she acts like Barbara Villiers or Madame du Pompadour.

Thanks for the question, anon

[xtruss]

4 French Royal Mistresses Who Made Their Mark on History

From Madame de Pompadour to Jeanne du Barry, these women wielded power in pre-Revolutionary France as companion to the king.

— By Erin Blakemore | June 23, 2023

This painting of Louis XV and his last mistress Madame du Barry was finished almost a century after their deaths. Royal mistresses like du Barry had impressive power through their access to the king. PaintingBy Gyula Benczur Via Bridgeman Images

Who’s the most important woman in France? During the French monarchy, it may not have been the queen, but the king’s official mistress—the maîtresse-en-titre.

She often ruled both his heart and his political decisions. As a result, French royal mistresses reached heights of power unknown to most women of their day. Here are the stories of just four of the many mistresses who left their mark in history.

Why Were Mistresses So Powerful?

Many European royals had extramarital affairs, but in France, mistresses enjoyed both royal favor and official recognition. Many queens were foreign-born, and all royal marriages were carefully arranged alliances. This led to everything from distrust to downright animosity between kings and queens, and often kings sought affection and companionship outside royal marriages.

As historian Tracy Adams notes, women at the time were acknowledged as men’s intellectual equals, but couldn’t legally compete with kings for their thrones. Because of this inferiority, they made the best choice for political advisors, Adams says. Most French kings from Charles VI took counsel from their lovers.

French sculptor Jean Goujon made this sculpture of Diana the Huntress with Diane de Poitiers’ likeness. Photograph By Mark Fiennes/Bridgeman Images

Agnés Sorel (1422-1450)

Also known as the “lady of beauty,” Agnés Sorel is often considered the first officially recognized French royal mistress.

Born into minor nobility, she rose to lady-in-waiting to Marie d’Anjou, wife of Charles VII of France. Soon after moving into the queen’s household in 1444, Sorel began an affair with Charles, from whom she received gifts of jewels and fine clothing. Sorel and the king had three daughters who survived infancy; the king recognized all three and gave them dowries when they married.

Sorel is best known for her fashion sense—she was excoriated outside of court for her love of low-cut and even open-fronted dresses and is thought to have inspired at least one iconic “Nursing Madonna” painting—and possibly her untimely death.

A few years after her affair with Charles began, she developed a stomachache and died after great suffering. The cause of her death remained an mystery until 2005, when researchers found traces of mercury poisoning. That mercury might have been a treatment for roundworms, but others suggest she was assassinated, by political enemies or perhaps even Charles VII himself.

Agnès Sorel was interred in the Church of St. Ours, in Loches, France (seen here). Her heart was buried separately more than 200 miles away in the Benedictine Abbey of Jumièges. Photograph By Jean-Guillaume Goursat/Gamma-Rapho Via Getty Images

Diane de Poitiers (1499-1556)

de Poitiers was a young widow when she served in the court of King Francis I, impressing him with her savvy management of her late husband’s estate. Though Francis respected her, she made an even greater impression on his son, Henry. At seven years old, the prince was sent to live in Spain for more than four years as a result of his father’s loss at the Battle of Pavia. When Henry returned, de Poitiers, now in her thirties became the teenager’s lover.

Henry often wore Diane’s colors—black and white, representing both her widowhood and her namesake, the Roman moon goddess—and de Poitiers became his most trusted advisor and companion. Though banished briefly from court (accused of a plot to unseat King Francis), she returned to the court after Francis’s 1547 death.

This painting by Alexandre-Evariste Fragonard shows de Poitiers posing for sculptor Jean Goujon. Photograph Alexandre Evariste Fragonard, Via Fine Art Images/Bridgeman Images

Henry was named King Henry II, and though he had a long marriage to Catherine de’Medici that produced seven surviving children, his relationship with de Poitiers endured for decades. She arranged for the care of his children, looked after the crown jewels of France, and even wrote his letters, which she signed with the combined name “HenriDiane.”

In 1599, Henry was injured in a joust, again wearing black and white. As the king slowly died of sepsis, the queen forbade his mistress from visiting his bedside. After his death, de Poitiers lived in exile. She lived a comfortable life in her grand chateau until her death, possibly from poisoning from a gold concoction designed to maintain her youth.

Madame de Pompadour (1721-1764)

One of the most loved and most powerful royal mistresses was Jeanne Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour—often known as just “Madame de Pompadour.” She came from a family far removed from royal circles—her father was a government official who fled the country after a corruption scandal, leaving her with her now penniless mother. But after a fortune teller told her she would one day become mistress to a king, she was given a private education befitting the ultimate maîtresse thanks to a friend of her father’s, whom it is speculated was actually her biological father.

Composer Wolfang Amadeus Mozart meets Madame de Pompadour at Versailles in 1763. Painting By Vicente Garcia de Parades, Via Fine Art Images/Bridgeman Images

Known as “Reinette,” or “little queen,” she moved in the world of Paris salons, sharpening her conversational skills and gaining notice for her charm. She married Charles d’Étoilles, a financier, when she was 19. In 1744, she finally made her move, attracting Louis XV’s attention by promenading in a carriage near his hunting grounds. Intrigued and in want of a new mistress, he began meeting with her.

Soon, they took the affair public: At a lavish masked ball in the Hall of Mirrors, the king allowed himself to be seen unmasked, in intimate conversation with his new, still-married mistress. The king gave her the title of Marquise of Pompadour, dispatched her husband with a position as an ambassador at a far-off embassy, and gifted her a room with a secret staircase leading to his bedchamber and a variety of chateaus and royal gifts, including the building now known as the Petit Trianon.

Despite public condemnation of her influence, she encouraged the king’s excesses, promoting his support of the arts, staging private theatricals for his amusement, and even convincing him to support a variety of Enlightenment-era luminaries, including the authors of the first French encyclopedia. Her health was poor, and the king lovingly nursed her on her deathbed, where she died at just 43 years of age.

This bust of de Pompadour was completed in 1751 when she was thirty years old. It was likely meant for her residence château de Bellevue, which was finished the same year. Sculpture By Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, Via The Met

Jeanne du Barry (1743-1793)

Louis XV’s next mistress would play a part in both his reign and the downfall of the French Empire. After Pompadour’s death, Louis fell in love with Jeanne Bécu, a prostitute turned high-society courtesan who seduced him with her beauty and her reputed sexual charms despite a 33-year age difference. Refusing to have an official mistress who was not an aristocrat, the king arranged for her to marry Count Guillaume du Barry, then moved her into Versailles.

Louis’s reputed excesses on behalf of his mistress shocked all of France. He gave Madame du Barry magnificent jewels and clothing and refused her nothing, even gifting her a Bengali slave, Zamor, who acted as her personal servant. He also gifted a diamond necklace so massive the country could not afford to pay for it.

News of the necklace and other extravagances continued to rile France even after Louis XV’s death, after which du Barry was banished from court.

Revolutionaries eventually accused Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI, of purchasing the necklace from a corrupt cardinal. du Barry was also swept up in the nation’s deadly revolutionary fervor when Zamor, who had endured years of her exploitative treatment, denounced her to revolutionaries for supposedly financially aiding counter-revolutionaries. She was arrested during the Reign of Terror and beheaded in front of a sneering crowd in 1793.

This bust depicts Marie-Jeanne Bécu. During her reign as official royal mistress, many portraits of du Barry were undertaken by leading artists, including French sculptor Augustin Pajou. Sculpture By Augustin Pajou, Mfah