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Jean Marc Nattier (1685–1766) by Louis Tocqué

Louis Tocqué · 1745-01-01

Louis Tocqué's 1745 portrait of Jean-Marc Nattier captures a moment of mutual respect between two leading French portraitists of the Rococo era. Nattier, himself a renowned painter for the French royal family, was 60 when this was painted.

Look closely at Nattier’s engaging eyes and subtle smile. He presents himself not as a distant dignitary, but as a professional artist, holding his palette, the very tools of his trade. The warmth of the depiction suggests a deep familiarity and trust between the two painters.

This oil painting, now at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, exemplifies 18th-century French portraiture. It offers a rare glimpse into the personal and professional relationships within the artistic circles of the time, revealing how artists saw and honored each other.

What do you think Nattier, as a painter himself, thought of Tocqué's rendering of him?

Details

Louis Tocqué painted his older rival, Jean-Marc Nattier.
Louis Tocqué painted his older rival, Jean-Marc Nattier.
Nattier was 60, and still painting the French royal family.
Nattier was 60, and still painting the French royal family.
He knew exactly how a painter watched his sitter.
He knew exactly how a painter watched his sitter.
And he chose to be shown with his tools, a palette.
And he chose to be shown with his tools, a palette.
The voluminous curls act as a social badge of professional standing while giving Tocqué a technical showpiece , rendering white-on-white tonal variation against a warm background.
The voluminous curls act as a social badge of professional standing while giving Tocqué a technical showpiece , rendering white-on-white tonal variation against a warm background.
Transcript

This is a portrait of one great painter, by another. Louis Tocqué painted his older rival, Jean-Marc Nattier. Nattier was 60, and still painting the French royal family. He knew exactly how a painter watched his sitter. And he chose to be shown with his tools, a palette. It’s a portrait of one artist by a trusting friend.