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| Louise-Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun. Portrait of Madame Du Barry. 1781, oil on panel. Philadelphia Museum of Art. |
Comparing notes on Madame du Barry according to a French writer, a young officer in the light cavalry, and a Belgian Prince.
"Madame du Barry was truly pretty; beautiful head, beautiful eyes, beautiful hair of an ashen grey hue; beautiful, rounded arms and divine hands; her enchanting smile charmed every one."¹
-Charles-Joseph Lamoral, 7th Prince de Ligne
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| Jean Baptiste Andre Gautier-Dagoty. Portrait of Madame du Barry. 1750-86, color engraving on paper. Clark Art Institute. |
"Her hair, which she often wore unpowdered, was of a beautiful golden colour, and she had so much that she scarcely knew what to do with it all' her wide blue eyes looked with engaging frankness at him to whom she spoke."²
-A young officer noted as Monsieur de Belleval who was directed to approach Madame du Barry for a petition
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| Augustin Pajou, Jeanne Bécu, Comtesse Du Barry (1743-93). Marble, 1773. Musée du Louvre. |
"Her bearing was revoltingly impudent, and her features far from handsome, but she had fair hair of a charming colour, pretty teeth, and a pleasing expression. She looked extremely well at night."³
-Stéphanie Félicité du Crest de Saint-Aubin, Comtesse de Genlis, known as Madame de Genlis, who saw her at the presentation of her aunt.
¹Didot, Albert, and Jean E AUX. Souvenirs De J.-E. Despréaux, Danseur De L'opéra Et Poète-chansonnier, 1748-1820, D'après Ses Notes Manuscrites. Issoudun: Impr. De A. Gaignault, 1894. p 14
²Saint-André, Claude. A King's Favourite : Madame Du Barry and Her Times from Hitherto Unpublished Documents. New York: McBride, Nast, 1915. p60
³Williams, H. Noel. Memoirs of Madame Du Barry, of the Court of Louis XV,. New York: P.F. Collier, 1910. p76
Interesting tidbits! I just love the way people expressed themselves back then!
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