Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Marquise of Pompadour, nicknamed Reinette ("little queen"), better known as Madame de Pompadour (Paris, 1721 - Versailles, 1764), was the most famous mistress of King Louis XV and the most powerful woman in France in the 18th century. Her mother was a wealthy bourgeois heiress, but her father refused to acknowledge her. The young girl received a good education in a convent and frequented Parisian salons where she met artists, writers, and philosophers. Thanks to her connections, she managed to meet Louis XV, King of France, and became his official mistress, receiving the title of Marquise of Pompadour. Madame de Pompadour, a proponent of Enlightenment ideas, had a notable influence on the arts, fashion, theater, and music. With her influence also extending into the political sphere, she managed to secure positions for friends and family members.
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