The Dying Bubble-Lord in the Lap of Madame Compagnie
Philibert Bouttats (Flemish, ca. 1650–?) after Romeyn de Hooghe (Dutch, 1645–1708), 1720, etching and engraving
A pathetic John Law, his head on the knee of Madame Compagnie in a Pietà-like pose, topples to the ground, while a “Mississippi Nun” administers last rites. Adapted from a Dutch satirical image of Louis XIV that was published during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–14), the print substitutes an image of Law for that of the Sun King succumbing to the seductive sway of his mistresses Louise de la Vallière and Madame de Maintenon. Here it is Madame Compagnie and her consort, Lady Credit, who reign supreme, offering comfort—and additional stock shares—while the men around them expire, tear out their hair, and weep.
: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints, and Photographs
The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries.
