Princesse de Rohan

Artist Jean-Marc Nattier (French, 1685-1766)

Place of OriginFrance

Date1741

DimensionsPainting: 57 1/8 × 44 1/2 in. (145.1 × 113 cm)
Frame: 70 × 57 × 5 in. (177.8 × 144.8 × 12.7 cm)

MediumOil on canvas

ClassificationPaintings

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1952.64

Not on View

Collections

Paintings

Published ReferencesPoiresson-Chamarandes, M., Collections des Livrets des Anciennes Expositions, Salon de 1741, Paris, June 1869, no. 58.

Guiffrey, J.-J., "L'Hotel de Soubise," Gazette des Beaux-Arts, I, 1869, p. 403.

Spitzen- und Porträtausstellung, Vienna, Österreichischen Museum für Kunst und lndustrie, 1906, p. 81, cat. no. 38 (exh. cat. ).

Leisching, Julius, Das Bildnis im achtzehnten und neunzehnten Jahrhundert, Vienna, 1906, pp. 11-12, not repr.

de Nolhac, Pierre, Nattier, Paris, 1910, pp. 81-82.

Langlois, C.L.V., Les Hotels de Clisson, de Guise et de Rohan-Soubise au Marais, Paris, 1922, pp. 167-168.

de Nolhac, P., Nattier, 3rd ed., Paris, 1925, pp. 99-100.

Huard, G., "Nattier," in Les Peintres francais du XVIIIe siècle (ed. L. Dimier), Paris, 1930, II, p. 111, no. 113 (as prince (sic) de Rohan).

Dimier, L., Les Peintres Francais du 18 me Siècle, t. 2, Paris, 1930, p. 111, p. 127, no. 113. (Listed as Prince de Rohan in register of principle works by Nattier following section devoted to this artist.) Illustrated London News, vol. 131, October 18, 1952, p. 637.

Art News, October 1952, repr. in color on cover.

Toledo Museum News, no. 139, November 1952, repr. on cover.

Illustrated London News, vol. 227, August 13, 1955, "French Paintings: For a New Gallery in the Toledo Museum, Ohio," p. 271, repr.

Godwin, Molly Ohl, "Toledo Museum of Art: Post-war Additions," Connoisseur, vol. 136, no. 548, October 1955, pp. 133-140, repr. p. 139.

Charmet, Raymond, "L'Art Francaise au Musée de Toledo," Arts Spectacles, no. 556, February 22, 1956, p. 14, repr.

The Nelson Gallery and Atkins Museum Bulletin, vol. 1, no. 2, December 1958, p. 6, repr. p. 3.

A Guide to the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, 1966, repr.

Watson, F. J. B., "Eighteenth-Century Painting and Decorative Arts," Apollo, vol. 86, no. 70, Dec. 1967, repr. (b&w), fig. 17, p. 462.

Toledo Museum of Art, The Toledo Museum of Art, European Paintings, Toledo, 1976, p. 117, pl. 200.

"La chronique des arts," Gazette des Beaux-Arts, vol. 90, no. 1305, Oct. 1977, repr. fig. 14, p. 11.

Goodman, Elise, The Portraits of Madame de Pompadour: Celebrating the Femme Savante, Berkeley, University of California, 2000, pp. 91, 93, 161, no. 18-20, pl. 6 (col.), p. 94, fig. 50 (det.).

Chadych, Danielle, Promenades d'architecture et d'histoire le marais: évolution d'un paysage urbain, Paris, Parigramme, 2005, p. 320, repr. (col.).

Brown, Carolina, Liksom En Herdinna: Litterara teman i svenska kvinnoportratt under 1700-talet, Stockholm, Carlssons, 2012, p. 126, no. 48 repr. (col.) p. 127.

The Archives Nationales: the Marais Quadrangle, Paris, Éditions du Patrimoine, Centre des Monuments Nationaux, Paris, 2013, p.7, repr. (col. det.).

Jeffares, Neil, "La Tour and Lundberg's portraits of la princesse de Rohan", in Pastels & pastellists, published online, 2013, updated 8 March 2020, p. 4, repr. (col.) fig. 1. Martin Peterson, Nora ed., Miracles of Love: French Fairy Tales by Women, translated by Jordan Stump, The Modern Language Association of America, New York, 2022, repr. (col. detail) cover.

Jeffares, Neil, "Part V: Named sitters R-Z," from the Dictionary of pastellists before 1800 [online edition], Pastellists [published online], 2008, updated 8 January, 2023, pp. 8-9.

Exhibition HistoryParis, Salon, 1741, no. 58 (as Madame la princesse de Rohan, tenant un livre).

Vienna, Österreichischen Museum für Kunst und lndustrie, Spitzen- und Porträtausstellung, March 24 - May 6, 1906, cat. no. Kansas City, William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art, Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Exhibition, 1958, no. 6.

Wildenstein, New York, N.Y. 1977.

Versailles, Musée National des châteaux Versailles et de Trianon, Jean-Marc Nattier 1685-1766, 1999-2000, no. 30, pp. 135-136, repr. p. 137 (col.).

Cincinnati, OH, Taft Museum of Art, loaned for display in permanent galleries [reciprocal loan for the duration of Frans Hals Portraits: A Family Reunion], Oct. 13, 2018- January 6, 2019.

Label TextNattier became known for his portraits of women presented as goddesses, seasons, or elements of nature. These allegories also showed the sitter relaxed and at ease, charming and delightful in simple garments and a natural setting. Here Marie Sophie de Courcillon (1713–1756), the Princesse de Rohan, holds a book entitled Histoire universelle (Universal History); she is perhaps intended to symbolize the muse of learning. She did indeed have a reputation as a cultured and learned woman, and presided over a lively salon (gathering of intellectuals and witty conversationalists).