The Life and Career of Marc Nattier

Paris, 1642. Marc Nattier enters a city defined by the rigid structures of the French monarchy. He develops his craft as a painter, focusing his attention on the art of portraiture. His professional ascent reaches a definitive peak on June 27, 1676, when he is received as a member of the Académie royale de peinture. This admission secures his status within the institutional hierarchy of the French art world.

The work of Marc Nattier remains tied to the formal traditions of his era. He operates within the established circles of Parisian art, maintaining a practice that emphasizes the likeness of his subjects. His career follows the trajectory of a professional dedicated to the portrait, a path that leads him through the evolving social landscape of late seventeenth-century France. He remains in Paris until his death on October 24, 1705.

Family and Artistic Lineage

Marriage and apprenticeship converge in the household of Marc Nattier. He wed Marie Courtois, a miniaturist who had studied under Charles Le Brun. This union established a domestic environment defined by technical precision and the demands of professional portraiture. The lineage continued through their two sons, Jean-Marc Nattier and Jean-Baptiste Nattier. Both boys grew up within this specialized milieu, eventually following their father into the profession as painters.

Jean-Marc Nattier, born in 1685, would eventually emerge from his father's shadow to become a significant figure in his own right. The family's artistic identity was not merely a matter of shared talent but a structured inheritance of skills and professional rights. This continuity ensured that the Nattier name remained central to the French artistic landscape for the next generation.

Engravings and the Luxembourg Gallery

In 1702, a significant shift occurs in the production of Nattier's work when he obtains authorization to reproduce and engrave twenty-four paintings from the Cycle of Marie de Médicis. These works are housed within the gallery of the Luxembourg Palace. This project transforms the scale of his artistic output, moving from individual portraiture toward the systematic reproduction of a major cycle.

The technical execution of this undertaking involves his sons, Jean-Marc Nattier and Jean-Baptiste Nattier. They provide the necessary drawings that serve as the foundation for the engraving process. This collaborative effort ensures the family's involvement in the preservation and dissemination of the Luxembourg paintings. The resulting engravings find their way into a published album in 1710, titled Gallerie du palais du Luxembourg.