Jean-Marc Nattier (Father: Marc Nattier, a portraitist; Mother: Marie Courtois, a miniaturist; Brother: Jean-Baptiste Nattier, a painter) (1685–1766) was a prominent French painter of the Rococo period, celebrated as the official portraitist to the court of King Louis XV and specifically to the ladies of the royal family. He is best known for creating a fashionable genre known as the “mythological portrait,” in which high-society women were depicted as Greek or Roman goddesses or celestial allegories.
Born into an artistic family in Paris, Nattier showed early promise and was awarded the first prize at the Academy at age 15. Although he initially aspired to be a history painter—then considered the highest tier of the artistic hierarchy—the financial collapse caused by the “Law System” in 1720 forced him to pivot toward portraiture. This transition proved to be his making; he became the master of the “portrait historié,” where he successfully combined the prestige of history painting with the intimacy of portraiture.
His style was defined by a soft, flattering light and an exquisite ability to render textures, particularly the “Nattier Blue” silk and satin fabrics that became his signature. By portraying his sitters as figures like Diana (goddess of the hunt), Flora, or Hebe, he allowed them to appear both virtuous and ethereal, smoothing over physical imperfections while maintaining a recognizable likeness. His most famous subjects included Queen Marie Leszczyńska and the daughters of Louis XV (Mesdames de France).
Nattier was a member of the Académie Royale and achieved immense wealth and fame during the 1740s and 50s. However, toward the end of his life, his style fell out of favor as the art world shifted toward the more austere Neoclassicism. Despite dying in relative obscurity, his work remains the definitive visual record of the elegance and artifice of the French court during the mid-18th century.
Active in others filds : Historical Painting, Engraving (early career reproductions of Rubens).
