Jean-Marc Nattier Art

Jean-Marc Nattier (Paris, 1685 - 1766) and his workshop Portrait of Charlotte de Hesse-Rheinfels Oil on canvas : h. 44.09 in, w. 38.19 in 18th century carved giltwood framed Framed : h. 52.36 in, w. 47.63 in Charlotte de Hesse-Rheinfels (1714-1741), daughter of Landgrave Ernest-Léopold de Hesse-Rheinfels-Rotenburg and Éléonore de Lowenstein-Wertheim and Kazazyan, was Princess of Condé by her marriage in 1728 to Duke Louis-Henri de Bourbon-Condé known as Monsieur le Duc. The princess is portrayed seated on a canopy of gilded wood trimmed with raspberry red velvet, the body positioned facing forward while the face is turned three-quarters to the left. The face with a thoughtful and thoughtful gaze is awakened by its large gray eyes, the translucent skin with painted cheeks accentuates the effect of a melted execution of the model. Her powdered and tied hair is adorned with an orange veil which goes down on her shoulders. The separation fades between the powdered hair and the face. Dressed in a golden yellow satin dress embellished with multiple rows of white and black lace flounces at the bodice and sleeves, the neckline of her dress reveals her bare throat. The ermine coat lined with blue velvet is placed behind his shoulders, the sides of the coat come back to the front and are arranged in angular folds on his knees. With her right hand, arm bent at the elbow, she caresses her little dog, while the left arm resting on the armrest of the armchair is extended and the index finger of her open hand points to the right. The positions of the arms and the head generate an illusion of diagonal movement allowing to break the static character of portrait. This stretching of the arms horizontally is characteristic of Nattier's works, the figure thus grows in size in the painting by occupying a larger place there. This process carried out by highlighting the elegance of refined gestures increases the natural grace of the young woman. The sober architectural background is composed of a column draped with a green curtain and flattened pilasters with Ionian capitals. The light coming from the right partially illuminates the figure, leaving the left part in shadow. Illuminated, the young woman's dress reflects golden reflections in warm orange tones, while the velvet of the coat broken into angular folds reveals its surface through icy white ridges. This opposition only accentuates the volumes and textures of the fabrics. The facial features under a subtle effect of blurred appear more softened while the pearly white complexions seem illuminated with an inner radiance. Related works: Our work is a variant of the painting executed by Jean Marc Nattier...

This rare drawing by Nattier is part of a set of preparatory studies executed in 1717 for one of the painter's first commissions, the painting commissioned by Tsar Peter I of Russia ...