Conformity rather than individuality was a hallmark of Nattier’s enormous success portraying French aristocratic women: his portraits represent contrasting ivory skin and bright blush, powdered hair and soft features set against warm landscapes. Between 1730 and 1760, the period which marked Nattier''s rise to prominence, he espoused two models for his portraits of women at Versailles and in wealthy Paris society. He showed these clients either in court or formal costume (a lace or elaborately embroidered dress with an oval neckline, narrow sleeves to the elbow, and a tight, pointed bodice), or, in accordance with his own preference, he painted them in loose, low-cut draperies and in allegorical guise. In either case they usually wore their short hair lightly powdered and ornamented with flowers. Nattier''s preferred colours in addition to white were blue, ivory, and red, and his shiny fabrics look like satin. He used three formats, bust, three-quarter, and as here, half-length. Th...