Portrait of Mary Adelaide of France as Diana

French artist Jean-Marc Nattier painted this Portrait of Marie Adelaide of France as Diana in 1745, depicting the third daughter of King Louis XV in the guise of the Roman goddess of the hunt. The princess reclines against a serene riverside landscape, holding a bow while a quiver of arrows rests nearby. A crescent moon adorns her hair, and a leopard skin drapes across her shoulder.

This type of allegorical portraiture was a hallmark of French Rococo painting. Nattier became the favorite portraitist of Louis XV's court, and his ability to blend historical portraiture with mythological allegory made him enormously popular among the aristocracy. The soft, diffused light and rosy cheeks are trademarks of his elegant style.

Marie Adelaide (1732-1800) was a talented musician who never married, instead remaining at the French court until the Revolution forced her into exile. The painting measures 95 x 128 cm and hangs at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, within the Galleria Palatina. Its idealized femininity and rich colors demonstrate why Nattier was so sought after by the Bourbon court.