François-Hubert Drouais’ 'Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame'
Picture of the month October 2025
Amber Butchart asks, what can a dress tell us about politics 300 years ago?
Fashion historian Amber Butchart introduces us to one of the most famous women of the 18th century, Madame de Pompadour.
In François-Hubert Drouais’ painting, ‘Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame’, we see her as a refined, cultured woman dressed in beautiful fabrics.
But if we take a closer look at what she is wearing, there is more to the story than meets the eye.
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