Jean-marc Nattier (in The Style Of), Young Aristocrat As Hebe, Miniature, 18th Century
French School, Portrait of a Young Aristocrat Depicted as the Goddess Hebe, c. 1760–70.
In the style of Jean-Marc Nattier, a portraitist highly representative of the Rococo taste under Louis XV—the monarch whose daughters (“Mesdames” Elisabeth, Henriette, Adélaïde, Victoire) and members of the court, this miniature depicts a lady of high rank in a mythological disguise—a style then very much in vogue among the aristocrats of the time.
Nattier’s portrait of Madame Le Fèvre de Caumartin, held at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., attests to this popularity and bears a close resemblance to our composition.
As the goddess of youth and vitality (the Roman Juventas), she is traditionally depicted with her attributes as cupbearer of Olympus—Jupiter’s eagle and the cup holding the nectar.
We should note—though these signs of the ravages of time are visible in the photographs—that oxidation of the paper or pigments has caused some brown spots.
A charming portrait, executed in gouache on paper, set in a later 19th-century frame elegantly carved with horizontal grooves. Masterful use of color, delicate brushwork, and the beauty of the subject, who perfectly embodies the feminine ideals of the second half of the 18th century, particularly the waning years of Louis XV’s reign.
Image size: 7.5 x 6 cm
Overall dimensions: 14 x 12 cm
In the style of Jean-Marc Nattier, a portraitist highly representative of the Rococo taste under Louis XV—the monarch whose daughters (“Mesdames” Elisabeth, Henriette, Adélaïde, Victoire) and members of the court, this miniature depicts a lady of high rank in a mythological disguise—a style then very much in vogue among the aristocrats of the time.
Nattier’s portrait of Madame Le Fèvre de Caumartin, held at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., attests to this popularity and bears a close resemblance to our composition.
As the goddess of youth and vitality (the Roman Juventas), she is traditionally depicted with her attributes as cupbearer of Olympus—Jupiter’s eagle and the cup holding the nectar.
We should note—though these signs of the ravages of time are visible in the photographs—that oxidation of the paper or pigments has caused some brown spots.
A charming portrait, executed in gouache on paper, set in a later 19th-century frame elegantly carved with horizontal grooves. Masterful use of color, delicate brushwork, and the beauty of the subject, who perfectly embodies the feminine ideals of the second half of the 18th century, particularly the waning years of Louis XV’s reign.
Image size: 7.5 x 6 cm
Overall dimensions: 14 x 12 cm
450 €
Period: 18th century
Style: Louis 15th - Transition
Condition: Good condition
Material: Gouache
Length: 14 cm
Height: 12 cm
Reference (ID): 1790178
Availability: In stock
Print
