France / c. 1748
Portrait of a Woman
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Portrait of a Woman as painting (France · c. 1748).
Though the sitters in his portraits often lack individualized traits, Nattier was fervently sought by French aristocratic women.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as oil on canvas and credits Jean-Marc Nattier (French, 1685–1766).
The museum's collection notes: Jean-Marc Nattier was a favorite portraitist of King Louis XV of France. He held the lucrative position as the court painter for Queen Mary Lesczynski, the daughter of the exiled king of Poland. The portrait was long thought to be of Madame Henriette de France, one of the daughters of Louis XV and Queen Mary Lesczynski, but this identification is no longer accepted and the sitter remains unknown. There has been considerable confusion over the identity of many of Nattier's sitters, as they tend to conform to an idealized concept of female beauty.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtPortrait of a WomanOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.