Portrait of Madame du Barry in a Hunting Costume

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.