Portrait of Madame Marie-Henriette Berthelot de Pléneuf

Nattier was influenced by Nicolas de Largillièrre and brought about the revival of the Fontainebleau school through his depiction of the aristocratic women of the court in the guise of mythological figures. This is a typical example from his large production of this type of work. Here the model is shown as the personification of rivers or springs. This elegant image with its silvery gray tonalities allows us a glimpse of Nattier's technique, although at the time he was criticized for his over-idealization of the model. In his later years Nattier diverged from the taste of the period. (Source: Masterpieces of the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 2009, cat. no.51)