Beschreibung:

Jeanne Bécu, Comtesse du Barry (1743-1793). Maitresse-en-titre (Chief Mistress) to Louis XV. 2.5 x 6 in., framed, 13.75 x 14.25 in. with small (approx. 1.5 x 2 in.) oval portrait of the Countess. Dated August (Aout) 10, 1780. The note seems to regard a transaction and a request that the receipt should be sent to her. Jeanne Bécu was the illegitimate daughter of a beautiful seamstress, whose own grace and beauty attracted the attention of many "movers and shakers" of the day. In order to make her his official mistress, she needed to have a title. This was created for her by Jean-Baptiste du Barry, who arranged a marriage and forged a birth certificate, making Jeanne younger and of noble descent. She was then installed in the apartments of the royal mistress in Versailles. Upon Louis XV's death, Marie Antoinette had her exiled to Abbey du Pont-aux-Dames. Eventually she was able to purchase land and live a more "normal" life (at least for a courtesan of the day), until the French Revolution came along. She was accused of assisting those fleeing the Revolution, and eventually arrested and tried for treason. She was beheaded in December 1793. Condition: Ink a bit blurry, and writing is very cramped, making much of this illegible. Paper is lightly toned. It does not appear to be tightly adhered to the matting, since the edges are lifting a bit, but not removed from frame for examination.