'Marie Antoinette' Season 2 Unveils the Portrait Heard Round the World
A shocking portrait, an open marriage, and a heist, oh my! Marie Antoinette’s fourth episode, “The Pursuit of Happiness,” tackles quite a bit of drama and intrigue. Hold onto your bustles; there’s a lot to address! The public unveiling of the queen’s new portrait challenges her modernity when everyone, including Louis, finds Antoinette’s robe en chemise dress scandalous. Her reputation is already tarnished by Chartres’ libelle, as well as an incendiary performance at the Palais Royal lambasting her adultery.
The Household Committee scolds Antoinette (read: etiquette police), who removes her portrait. It will be replaced with an appropriate one by a new artist, and they have thoughts on her presentation. She pushes back; she’ll bring them her ideas instead. A subsequent fight with Louis about her public image makes Antoinette defensive and angry. Louis is equally angry but tries to gently point out how dangerous it is to be hated.
Keeping her face obscured, Antoinette visits the Palais Royal with Yolande to hear the gossip for herself. She catches some of “The Misadventures of Marie Antoinette,” a musical performance starring Nicole D’Oliva (Margaux Billard) that viciously lampoons the queen. She is shocked and hurt but motivated to make changes she hopes will restore her respectability.
