Artwork
The Loving
The Loving is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jean-Marc Nattier. It dates from 1744 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1744, *The Loving* is an oil painting by French artist Jean‑Marc Nattier. Executed in the Rococo idiom, the work shows a man and a woman seated together in a verdant garden, surrounded by fruit, glassware and trees. The composition conveys a quiet, intimate moment, with the figures rendered in the light, decorative palette typical of mid‑eighteenth‑century French portraiture.
Subject & Meaning
The central couple is dressed in contemporary eighteenth‑century attire: the man in a white ensemble holds a glass and a decanter of red wine, while the woman in a vivid blue dress extends her hand toward him, her gaze directed at the male figure. The setting and relaxed pose suggest a private encounter, perhaps a courtly flirtation, rendered with the gentle sensuality characteristic of Nattier’s portrayals of aristocratic women.
Technique & Style
The blue of the woman’s dress is rendered with a luminous glaze that contrasts with the more muted hues of the surrounding landscape and the man’s attire.
Nattier employs the fluid brushwork and pastel tonalities of Rococo painting, using oil to achieve soft transitions between flesh, fabric and foliage. The blue of the woman’s dress is rendered with a luminous glaze that contrasts with the more muted hues of the surrounding landscape and the man’s attire. Delicate highlights on the glassware and fruit enhance the scene’s tactile realism while maintaining an overall decorative elegance.
History & Provenance
Born in Paris in 1685 to a family of artists, Nattier was renowned for placing courtly sitters within mythological or pastoral contexts. *The Loving* entered the collection of the Alte Pinakothek, where it remains part of the museum’s Rococo holdings. The painting’s acquisition reflects the 19th‑century German interest in French decorative art and the enduring appeal of Nattier’s refined portraiture.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Marc Nattier (French pronunciation: ; 17 March 1685 – 7 November 1766) was a French painter.
Madame Marsollier and Her Daughter
Marie Françoise de La Cropte de St. Abre, Marquise d'Argence
Madame Bergeret de Frouville as Diana
Madame Le Fèvre de Caumartin as Hebe
Joseph Bonnier de la Mosson
Portrait of a Woman as Diana
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Woman, Called the Marquise Perrin de Cypierre
