Louis XV was a very shy and private man. He had ten children with his wife, Marie Leczinska. Attentive at first, but later he only acknowledged her in the accompaniment of others. He would, however, visit her privately for a few minutes each day. This was a time when pandering to a king was an honorable calling, finding girls from the gutter, scrubbing them up with soap and giving them to the king was not unusual. Louis XV was busy for quite some time. Louis chose very wisely with his first official mistress Mme. de Pompadour. Although a plebeian by birth, her taste helped to set the style of the court. She surrounded herself with a superabundance of the finest paintings, furnishings and porcelains and accompanied the king when he commissioned items for the court.
Although their physical affair did not last long, she met the king’s needs in every other way discussing politics, business and hunting. She studied the lives of the previous king’s mistresses learning lessons of their successes and their failures. Mme. de Pompadour was not supplanted by an equal rival for some time and was considered the king’s “special friend”. She purchased items from an allowance from the king and borrowed from the royal court. She established good credit with them borrowing and borrowing again. Primarily, she invested wisely. Mme. de Pompadour was only 42 when she died leaving an enormous collection behind. It took two notaries and several experts nearly a good year to list an inventory of her possessions. And it took more than eight months to sell everything at auction.
Although their physical affair did not last long, she met the king’s needs in every other way discussing politics, business and hunting. She studied the lives of the previous king’s mistresses learning lessons of their successes and their failures. Mme. de Pompadour was not supplanted by an equal rival for some time and was considered the king’s “special friend”. She purchased items from an allowance from the king and borrowed from the royal court. She established good credit with them borrowing and borrowing again. Primarily, she invested wisely. Mme. de Pompadour was only 42 when she died leaving an enormous collection behind. It took two notaries and several experts nearly a good year to list an inventory of her possessions. And it took more than eight months to sell everything at auction.
Even just special friends, both Louis XV and Mme. De Pompadour enjoyed privacy and dining in quiet, small spaces together. Louis hired architect Agne-Jacques Gabriel to construct the Petite Trianon -- a masterpiece characterized by soberness, order, and perfection. The structure was a complete break with rococo style. Gabriel planned for the inside to have a very convenient service -- a dining room with a very unique floor.
Allegedly, the first modern elevator was built in 1743 as a way for Louis XV to skitter around undetected and allow for clandestine meetings with various mistresses. This same elevator idea was to be employed in the Petit Trainon. An area of the floor of the dining room was to be decorated with a rosette pattern. At any given signal, Louis could have his servants slide the floorboards back revealing an opening through the floor. A table rose from the room below dressed with elaborate porcelain dinnerware and scrumptious food. When a course was finished, Louis could give another signal and the table would slowly descend. Each new course was set upon the table and rose again. This ingenious idea was devised to exclude the need of any servants disturbing him during intimate dinners. This “flying Table" (table volant) was equipped with two shelves, a drawer filled with utensils and, of course, a cooler for wine.
Mme de Pompadour wasn’t able to enjoy dining with the new contraption, she died in 1764. Only the exterior walls of the structure were completed by her death.
Allegedly, the first modern elevator was built in 1743 as a way for Louis XV to skitter around undetected and allow for clandestine meetings with various mistresses. This same elevator idea was to be employed in the Petit Trainon. An area of the floor of the dining room was to be decorated with a rosette pattern. At any given signal, Louis could have his servants slide the floorboards back revealing an opening through the floor. A table rose from the room below dressed with elaborate porcelain dinnerware and scrumptious food. When a course was finished, Louis could give another signal and the table would slowly descend. Each new course was set upon the table and rose again. This ingenious idea was devised to exclude the need of any servants disturbing him during intimate dinners. This “flying Table" (table volant) was equipped with two shelves, a drawer filled with utensils and, of course, a cooler for wine.
Mme de Pompadour wasn’t able to enjoy dining with the new contraption, she died in 1764. Only the exterior walls of the structure were completed by her death.