Madame de Pompadour by Boucher

In a 1953 review of Mitford's book on Louis XV's legendary mistress, Mr A.J.P Taylor of the Manchester Guardian wrote, "Pursuit In Love characters have appeared again , this time in fancy dress. They may now claim to be ledaing figures of in French literary history...In reality they belong to that wonderful never-never land of Miss Mitford's invention which can be called Versailles as easily as it used to be called Alconleigh...Certainly no historian can write a novel half as good as Miss Mitford's work of history"
Harsh criticism indeed in so far as it indicts Mitford for lack of range and of course, depth... but it is really funny reading one ferocious snob venerating another ferocious snob.

Nancy Mitford : On The Inspiration Board
Besides, its high time to brush up on those Mitford references. The above image is on the inspiration board of a certain very directional designer. Or so they hiss my way.