Portrait of the Marquise d’Antin

The painter depicted the marquise posing at the foot of an oak tree, overlooking a landscape that forms the backdrop. Her graceful pose and delicate features give her a childlike and innocent quality. The strong composition of this portrait is a fine illustration of the artist’s personality and art: the inversely curving arms form a diagonal with the garland of flowers arranged in a sling that crosses over the bust of her white silk dress. The painter renders the drapery and silks to great effect. Queen Marie Leszczynska, Louis XV’s wife, and their daughters particularly appreciated the delicacy, elegance, and sense of lightness that he introduced to a genre that was traditionally majestic—the court portrait.