ticketsMember | Make a donation

Madame Bergeret de Frouville as Diana

1756
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 631

Diana, goddess of the hunt, was a model of female virtue and power, but she was also often eroticized, surrounded by her nymphs bathing in the forest. Nattier used her disguise when portraying many of his female sitters, layering contemporary hairstyles and makeup with studio props, including the bow, quiver, and panther skin. This portrait is among the most accomplished examples of this means of elevating a work out of the everyday. Its artifice and self-conscious performativity are characteristic of a society steeped in theater and masquerade. Bergeret de Frouville’s husband was an important patron of other leading French painters, including François Boucher and Hubert Robert.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Madame Bergeret de Frouville as Diana
  • Artist: Jean Marc Nattier (French, Paris 1685–1766 Paris)
  • Date: 1756
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 53 3/4 x 41 3/8 in. (136.5 x 105.1 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1903
  • Object Number: 03.37.3
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Half-Length Portrait of a Young Man, Jean Marc Nattier French, Black and red chalk
Half-Length Portrait of a Young Man
Jean Marc Nattier
18th century
Self-Portrait, Jean Marc Nattier French, Black chalk, heightened with white (recto); white chalk (verso)
Self-Portrait
Jean Marc Nattier
ca. 1730
Portrait of a Woman, Jean Marc Nattier French, Oil on canvas
Portrait of a Woman
Jean Marc Nattier
1753
The Spring (La Source), Jean Marc Nattier French, Oil on canvas
The Spring (La Source)
Jean Marc Nattier
1738
Marie Françoise de La Cropte de St. Abre, Marquise d'Argence (born 1714), Jean Marc Nattier French, Oil on canvas
Marie Françoise de La Cropte de St. Abre, Marquise d'Argence (born 1714)
Jean Marc Nattier
1744

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.