Jean Marc Nattier (1685–1766)

Louis Tocqué painted this portrait of Jean Marc Nattier, his father-in-law and fellow painter at the court of Louis XV. Nattier (1685-1766) was the most fashionable portrait painter at Versailles, known for depicting aristocratic women as mythological goddesses. This portrait by Tocqué captures an artist at the height of his fame — Tocqué himself was celebrated as one of the finest French portraitists of the mid-eighteenth century.

The oil on canvas displays the refined French portrait style with fluid brushwork and luminous flesh tones. The informal pose and direct gaze create an intimate image of a fellow artist, rendered with the warmth of a family portrait.