Portrait d’Anne-Marie de Mailly-Nesle
“Portrait d’Anne-Marie de Mailly-Nesle (1717 – 1744), marquise de La Tournelle, plus tard duchesse de Châteauroux, en Point du jour” is a stunning representation of 18th-century French portraiture, created by an unknown artist from the School of French Art. The painting encapsulates the essence of French aristocracy during the reign of Louis XV, showcasing Anne-Marie de Mailly-Nesle in her youthful beauty and serene grace. Born in 1717, Anne-Marie was the marquise de La Tournelle and later became the duchesse de Châteauroux, the mistress of Louis XV. This portrait, dating from the 18th century, captures her in the early morning light, a subject typically associated with the Romantic ideal of femininity and purity, commonly known as the “Point du jour.”
Table of Contents
Subject and Expression
The subject of the portrait is Anne-Marie de Mailly-Nesle, depicted in a soft, intimate pose that suggests both regal dignity and personal allure. She is presented in a loose, flowing white gown, which contrasts with the more rigid, structured attire often associated with nobility of the period. The gown, delicate and understated, emphasizes her youthful beauty, while her tousled hair, loosely arranged around her head, further enhances this natural elegance. Her expression is calm yet somewhat introspective, conveying a serene confidence typical of royal portraiture but with an added layer of vulnerability that humanizes the figure.
The artist has chosen to highlight the subject’s face with exceptional care, focusing on her soft features: the slightly tilted head, her large eyes that seem to gaze gently out of the frame, and the smoothness of her skin, rendered in warm, delicate tones. This focus on the face captures both her beauty and the nobility she embodied in life, offering a glimpse of the softer side of court life, which often emphasized restraint and composure.
Setting and Composition
The background of the portrait is sparse and unobtrusive, focusing the viewer’s attention entirely on the subject. A faint star in the upper portion of the painting symbolizes the “Point du jour” or “moment of dawn,” a symbolic reference to Anne-Marie’s beauty, youth, and position as an important figure in the French court. The simplicity of the background allows the viewer to focus on the intricacies of Anne-Marie’s attire and expression, as well as the subdued yet refined detailing of her features.
The composition follows the classical conventions of portraiture from the era, with Anne-Marie positioned slightly off-center, creating a sense of balanced asymmetry. This positioning invites the viewer’s eye to flow gently around the figure, ensuring that the focus remains on her while offering subtle visual interest through the soft folds of her gown, which are carefully arranged to imply both movement and structure. The artist has paid particular attention to the light in the composition, with a soft, glowing illumination that enhances the softness of the flesh tones and accentuates the delicate nature of Anne-Marie’s appearance.
Materials and Technique
The artist has employed traditional oil paints to capture the nuances of texture and light. The brushwork is delicate and refined, with careful blending of tones to create a smooth, almost porcelain-like effect on the skin. The drapery of Anne-Marie’s gown is rendered in intricate detail, with each fold meticulously painted to suggest the weight and movement of the fabric. The artist has also used shading expertly, particularly around the subject’s face, to create a sense of depth and volume, as well as to highlight the subtle play of light and shadow.
The use of muted colors, such as soft pinks, whites, and pale blues, further enhances the overall serene and gentle atmosphere of the portrait. The background is a gradient of light, soft hues that allow Anne-Marie’s figure to stand out without distraction. The subtle use of these colors contributes to the mood of quiet elegance and understated beauty.
Mood and Theme
The mood of the painting is one of calm introspection and refined beauty, typical of French aristocratic portraits of the period. It reflects a sense of aristocratic dignity and poise but does so with a softness and delicacy that makes the subject appear approachable rather than distant. There is a serene, almost ethereal quality to the portrait, which is heightened by the use of soft lighting and the absence of a busy background. The theme of dawn or “Point du jour” is central to the work, representing not only Anne-Marie’s beauty but also the ideal of femininity as a source of light and renewal.
The theme is consistent with the Rococo style of the time, which often celebrated beauty, lightness, and refinement. The portrait’s atmosphere, with its emphasis on the purity of the subject and the soft play of light, speaks to the Rococo’s affinity for grace and beauty without the harshness of reality. Anne-Marie is portrayed not only as a historical figure but as a symbol of the ideals of the time: youthful beauty, aristocratic poise, and the fleeting nature of life at the French court.
Conclusion
“Portrait d’Anne-Marie de Mailly-Nesle” is a striking example of 18th-century French portraiture, capturing the timeless beauty and elegance of Anne-Marie de Mailly-Nesle in the context of the French aristocracy. The artist’s skillful rendering of the subject’s delicate features, the soft illumination of her face, and the subtle symbolism of the dawn all work together to create a portrait that transcends the mere representation of an individual. It is a piece that speaks to the larger themes of beauty, femininity, and aristocratic grace, immortalizing Anne-Marie in a moment of quiet reflection.
About The Artwork
Portrait d’Anne-Marie de Mailly-Nesle (1717 – 1744), marquise de La Tournelle, plus tard duchesse de Châteauroux, en Point du jour 18th Century by School of French Art.
This is a trimmed down portrait that seems to be based on the full body portrait created by Jean-Marc Nattier (1685 – 1766) in 1740 of Anne-Marie de Mailly-Nesle, Marquise de La Tournelle, later Duchess of Châteauroux, at Point du Jour; who was the youngest of the five famous de Nesle sisters, four of whom would become mistresses of King Louis XV (1715 – 1774) of France; and she was his mistress from 1742 to 1744.
She was the daughter of Louis de Mailly, Marquis de Nesle et de Mailly, Prince d’Orange (1689 – 1767), and Armande Félice de La Porte Mazarin (1691 – 1729); and her mother was the daughter of Paul Jules de La Porte, duc Mazarin et de La Meilleraye (1666 – 1731), the son of the famous adventuress, Hortense Mancini, the niece of Cardinal Mazarin.
Her sisters were Louise Julie de Mailly, Mademoiselle de Mailly, comtesse de Mailly (1710 – 1751), Pauline Félicité de Mailly, Mademoiselle de Nesle, marquise de Vintimille (1712 – 1741), Diane Adélaïde de Mailly, Mademoiselle de Montcavrel, duchesse de Lauraguais (1714 – 1769), Hortense Félicité de Mailly, Mademoiselle de Chalon, marquise de Flavacourt (1715 – 1799); Hortense was not one of the Kings Mistress.
This is a remastered digital art old masters reproduction of a public domain image that is available as a canvas print online.
Below Derived From Wikipedia.org
The School of French Art or as it commonly called École des Beaux-Arts encompasses a collection of influential art schools in France, and is a term associated with Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth century and the first quarter of the twentieth century.
The most famous and the oldest of these schools was École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris; who’s history spanned over 350 years, and is the place where many of Europes greatest artist trained.
The origin of the Paris school traces back to 1648, when the Académie des Beaux-Arts was founded by Cardinal Mazarin (1602 – 1661); to establish a place where the most talented students could be educated in drawing, painting, engraving, sculpture, architecture and other media.
In 1863 Napoleon III (1808 – 1873) gave the school independence from the French government and changed the name to L’École des Beaux-Arts; and then beginning in 1897, women were allowed to also attend the institution.
