Madame de Pompadour as Friendship
by PIGALLE, Jean-Baptiste, Marble, height 166 cm
Commissioned in 1750, the statue, which reproduces the features of the marquise de Pompadour, was placed in a grove dedicated to Love in the gardens of the Château de Bellevue. The allegory is described in the terms set out in manuals of iconology: wearing a plain white dress, with her breast and arms bare, Friendship is ready to help those she loves; at her feet are flowers from all four seasons, for while Love lives in the moment, Friendship flourishes all through life.