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Best known for his allegorical portraits of noblewomen depicted as mythological figures, Nattier combined refinement, theatricality, and a distinctly French sense of elegance that made him a favourite at the court of Louis XV. His work captures the grace, fashion, and spirit of the Rococo era, while also reflecting the political and cultural world of Versailles.
Nattier’s reputation first took root when he was commissioned to make engravings of Peter Paul Rubens’ celebrated Medici cycle at the Luxembourg Palace. His collaboration with the Russian court in 1717, where he painted members of Tsar Peter the Great’s family, also established his international renown. Despite this early success, financial misfortunes in the 1720s shifted his career more decisively toward portraiture. It was in this field that his elegant and imaginative style flourished, eventually making him indispensable at the French court.
Although admitted to the Académie Royale in 1718 as a history painter, Nattier’s legacy rests on the portraits that defined an era. Among his most admired works are those of the Mesdames de France (the daughters of Louis XV), and his celebrated rendering of the Duchesse de Chartres as Hebe, goddess of youth. Such portraits exemplify how Nattier elevated court likenesses into allegorical narratives that merged personal identity with mythological grandeur.
Central to his artistry was the allegorical portrait, in which aristocratic women were cast as goddesses, muses, or nymphs. This fusion of likeness and mythology allowed Nattier to flatter his sitters while imbuing them with an aura of timeless magnificence. His works are instantly recognisable for their idealised elegance: softened features, luminous complexions, sumptuous drapery in silks and satins, and a dreamy palette of pastel shades. Sitters appear poised yet animated, embodying both aristocratic refinement and Rococo fantasy.
These qualities are vividly present in this portrait. The sitter, embodying virtue and refinement, delicately holds white blossoms, symbols of purity, innocence, and moral grace. They may also allude to orange blossoms, traditionally linked with marriage, fidelity, and fertility, suggesting associations with conjugal virtue or romantic ideals. Her gown, richly embroidered and adorned with painted flowers, and the vibrant blue drapery surrounding her amplify this allegorical message, aligning her elegance with the natural world. The use of blue, long associated with nobility, fidelity, and divine grace, further enhances the sitter’s elevated persona.
Together, these details transform the portrait into a carefully constructed statement of identity, projecting the sitter not merely as an aristocratic woman but as a symbol of idealised femininity. It is a fine example of Nattier’s ability to merge fashion, allegory, and portraiture into a work of enduring resonance.
This baeutiful portrait, will be offered for sale at Aubreys on September 25th.
