Concubine or Cougar? Constructing the Creative Female Persona in Early Modern Europe, and Transitioning from Indirect Power toward Direct Power in a Man's World

An older woman seeking a sexual relationship with a younger man has often in the past been described as a "paramour" or "illicit inamorata" but in today's lexicon, we are increasingly utilizing the term "Cougar." The usual mental image of the cougar is commonly of an animal ready to pounce, seeking its prey, on the offense, the epitome of empowerment. The metaphorical cougar becomes a woman seeking empowerment, personal as well as societal. The chronological construction of this study explores the lives of Levina Teerlinc, Elizabeth I, Lettice Knollys, Veronica Franco, Marie-Thérèse Rodet Geoffrin, Madame Pompadour, and Adelaide Labille-Guiard