Jean-Baptiste Nattier Paintings

Jean-Marc Nattier, born on March 17, 1685, in Paris, France, was a renowned French painter known for his exquisite portraits of the ladies of King Louis XV's court. Nattier came from a family deeply embedded in the arts; his father, Marc Nattier (1642–1705), was a portrait painter, and his mother, Marie Courtois (1655–1703), was a miniaturist. This rich artistic heritage undoubtedly shaped Nattier's career and skill set from an early age.

Nattier showed a proclivity for art early on and received formal training from his father as well as from other prominent artists of the time. Despite this, Nattier's early career was not focused on the portraiture that would later define his legacy. Instead, he initially aspired to paint mythological scenes and was even awarded the Prix de Rome in 1700. However, financial constraints and familial responsibilities prevented him from traveling to Italy, which was a significant setback in his early career.

His fortunes changed in the 1710s when he began to establish himself as a portraitist. Nattier's breakthrough came with his involvement in producing portraits for the Russian court, which garnered him international recognition. By the 1730s, Nattier had become the unofficial court painter to King Louis XV’s court. He was particularly celebrated for his ability to infuse traditional portraiture with allegorical and mythological themes, a style that appealed to the tastes of the aristocracy of his time. His portraits were not only admired for their artistic quality but also for how they encapsulated the elegance and sophistication of the French nobility.

Among his most famous works are the portraits of Madame de Pompadour, the king's mistress, which remain iconic representations of French art and culture during the Rococo period. Nattier's success, however, did not last throughout his lifetime. By the 1750s, his popularity began to wane as tastes in the French court shifted towards more classical themes and styles, leading to financial difficulties in his later years.

Jean-Marc Nattier passed away on November 7, 1766, in Paris. Despite the decline in his popularity towards the end of his life, Nattier's work has since been re-evaluated, and he is now celebrated as one of the leading portrait painters of the 18th century, known for his unique blend of realism and mythological allegory. His legacy endures through his contributions to the Rococo style and his vivid portrayal of an opulent and dynamic period in French history.