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KEY: N 1
TITLE:
A portrait of Marchioness of Pompadour
DESCRIPTION:
Oil on canvas
PLACING:
Versailles Castle and the Trianon.
PERIOD:
1748
DIMENSIONS:
cm 66x53
NOTES:
This is a copy of the original by Nattier (1748) placed at the Museum in Saint-Omer. (see KEY: N 2)
The date of the acquisition is 1847 .
In the past it belonged to Testard .
There is a sketch of the face of this portrait, made for a bigger painting, and there are a few copies used for some engravings.
It was erroneously attributed to Louise-Henriette de Bourbon, the Duchess of Orleans (...I wonder why!).
This portrait has a mysterious story and it is the most resembling one, judging from the researches and descriptions of the contemporaries of the Marchioness (see Home page).
In this painting she has a disquieting, extraordinary and seductive expression, not in line with the usual beauty of that period.
Her face shows such modern features that she could be a woman of our century! Despite having always been considered quite boring and flat, Nattier made a real masterpiece of this painting.
If placed upon the oval portrait made by Boucher (The Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge U.S.A), all the facial details perfectly match: only the different artistic touch made some variation.
The experts say that this portrait is a copy, but my sixth sense (even if I am not an expert!) suggests me that this is the original, and that is more resembling than the one showed at the Museum in Saint-Omer.
I would like to receive more news about this painting, so please, write! Thank you. Lorenzo Crivellin
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PAINTING: Jean Marc Nattier (1685-1766)
