Portrait of Madame du Barry in a Hunting Costume, Louis Marin Bonnet, c. 1760 - 1793
crayon manner etching, printed in red, h 510mm × w 389mm More details
Kings’ mistresses have always enjoyed a special status in France, as unofficial counsellors and patrons of the arts. The Comtesse du Barry, Louis XV’s last mistress, spent a lot of money on art as well. Her likeness by Drouais became so popular that Bonnet reproduced it in ‘crayon manner’, a printmaking technique that had just been patented, here imitating a luscious red chalk drawing.
