Madame de Pompadour

Madame de Pompadour started out as Louis XV's mistress in 1745 when she caught his attention at a ball. She became one of his preferred mistresses, so much so that he moved her to an apartment above his, connected by a secret stairway. Even so the romantic part of the relationship ended five years later causing her to commission paintings representing friendship and fidelity. This was one of those paintings. Here she is next to a statue meant to represent friendship and is with her pet spaniel.

She switched from mistress to friend retaining the ability to have great influence on the king. All along she had been on good terms with the king's wife and brought ease to his life. As a friend she would present new young women to him, oversee things like construction, and kept an active role in creating entertainment for him. She managed to become a sort of adviser to Louis XV. She stayed next to the king until her death at 42 years old.

Citation:
The Wallace Collection. wallacelive.wallacecollection.org. Wallace Collection, n/a. Web. 23 June 2013.
Chateau de Versailles. en.chateauversailles.fr. Chateau de Versailles, n/a. Web. 23 June 2013.