Artwork

Portrait of Madame Bonnier de la Mosson as Diana (Constance-Gabrielle-Magdeleine du Monciel de Lauraille

Portrait of Madame Bonnier de la Mosson as Diana (Constance-Gabrielle-Magdeleine du Monciel de Lauraille is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jean-Marc Nattier. It dates from 1742 and is held in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum.

About this work

Overview

In 1742 Jean‑Marc Nattier painted a portrait of Constance‑Gabrielle‑Magdeleine du Monciel de Lauraille, known as Madame Bonnier de la Mosson, presenting her as the Roman goddess Diana. Executed in oil on canvas, the work exemplifies the light, decorative sensibility of mid‑eighteenth‑century French Rococo. It now belongs to the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Subject & Meaning

The sitter is shown in a white, flowing gown with a red sash, seated before a tree trunk and holding a bow and its string, attributes traditionally linked to Diana, goddess of the hunt. A leopard skin draped over her shoulder and a floral hairpiece complete the allegorical costume, turning a court portrait into a mythological statement about virtue and chastity.

Technique & Style

Nattier employed the smooth, luminous oil technique typical of Rococo portraiture, allowing delicate flesh tones and the sheen of silk to emerge. The composition balances soft chiaroscuro with a bright, pastel palette, while the graceful pose and idealised features reflect the period’s taste for elegance over strict realism.

History & Provenance

Created for a member of Louis XV’s aristocracy, the painting circulated among private collections before being acquired by the Getty Museum in the twentieth century. Its provenance traces a path from French court patronage to an American public institution, illustrating the broader movement of Rococo works into global museum holdings.

Context

Nattier built a reputation for portraying court ladies as figures from classical mythology, a fashionable device that allowed patrons to display refinement and learned taste. This portrait aligns with that trend, situating a contemporary noblewoman within the timeless narrative of Diana, thereby linking personal status to revered ancient ideals.