Abel-François Poisson, Marquis de Menars was known primarily through his connection to his sister: Madame de Pompadour. Just like his sister, he was an avid collector and had a rather substantial collection including pieces of art and more unorthodox items. His collection included 166 paintings, 7 enamel portraits, 24 miniatures, 23 sculptures, 11 vases, 22 bronze figurines, 20 medallions, hundreds of drawings, countless books, porcelain etc.
The collection included an astonishing amount of royal likenesses. Most of the royal family were represented but primarily Louis XV - understandably, considering his connection as both sovereign and his sister's lover.
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| The Marquis de Menars |
Of the more interesting features were:
2 globes (one celestial, one terrestrial) decorated with copper rings, mounted on wooden stands
1 cameo of a female in profile, made from carnelian and onyx and surrounded by brilliants
1 "Lanterne Magique". This was the precursor to a projector which allowed the user to insert different glass images which would be projected onto a wall. The Marquis' set included twelve different glass images.
2 heads carved from Carnelian
1 odometer, a round apparatus which measures a distance travelled
1 coconut from Manilla (considered so exotic that it warranted its place here!)
2 small bronze cannons, mounted on wood
1 natural crystal mounted on an ivory stand
Several pieces of fabric from Tahiti
1 model of a turning fireplace
2 rosaries, one with beads of lapis lazuli and one with agate
Several models of sheep (one wonders why)
The Marquis appears to have been a man of varied tastes. Besides his more notable features, he also possessed the more mundane features of an amateur scientist, such as thermometers, barometers, scales and a microscope.
On the few occasions that the Marquis did venture to Versailles, it is likely that he shared his interest for science with Louis XV - who was infamously fond of the new discoveries within that field.
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