Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan, became the chief mistress of King Louis XIV of France, dominating the cultural life of the brilliant court at Versailles for well over a decade. Her relationship with the 'Sun King' yielded seven children and elevated her to the unofficial position of the true cultural arbiter of France. However, her influence collapsed dramatically following her implication in the notorious Affair of the Poisons, a widespread murder scandal involving witchcraft and poisoners.

Madame de Montespan used her immense royal influence to act as a vital patron to the greatest French literary figures of the era, including Jean Racine, Molière, and Jean de La Fontaine. Her lavish financial and political sponsorship directly fueled the development of French Classicism, helping to popularize the highly structured neoclassical plays and poetry that dominated continental Europe.