In this series, Index asks our colleagues “What is your favorite work of art in our collections and why?” This is a tall order, given that we have about 250,000 works in our collections. At a recent weekly coffee hour, our intrepid reporters posed the challenging question to unsuspecting staff. Click here to see other responses in this series.

Francine Flynn, Registrar for Exhibitions and Loans

“Oh, boy . . . I know what mine is. Oh, what’s her name? . . . It’s Madame Pompadour. She is my favorite.”

Why do you love it so much?

“Because I love that French frou-frou stuff. She’s gorgeous!”