1685年出生於巴黎的尚－馬克．納提葉（Jean-Marc Nattier, 1685-1766），是路易十五時期最重要的肖像畫家之一。他從小便受到同樣是畫家的父親（Marc Nattier, 1642–1705）與叔叔（Jean Jouvenet, 1644-1717）的教導，之後進入巴黎學院習畫，在十五歲時獲得繪圖學科的第一名榮譽。儘管納提葉接受歷史畫的訓練，但因經濟因素轉而創作較能維持生計的肖像畫。他擅長將對象描繪成希臘羅馬的女神或寓意性人物，不僅同時兼具對象的肖似性，又賦予其理想化的優美，廣受當時皇室與貴族喜愛。本作品即是這樣的例子。在這幅半身肖像畫中，納提葉以女子的白晰皮膚與照耀其上的柔和光線，使主角在深色的背景中凸顯出來。女子灰黑如雲煙的髮絲梳綰成髻，白裡透紅的臉龐微側一旁，低垂著眼瞼慵懶地斜望著觀者。她身著輕薄的乳白衣衫，裸露豐潤的肩頸與手臂，身上僅有一條的細小珍珠作為裝飾。而泛著絲綢光澤的寶藍色長袍，讓女子雖衣著簡樸仍不失華貴。她身體向右斜傾，倚靠在綴有紋飾的甕瓶上，透過裙褶的起伏與明暗變化，可見她左腿屈膝、右腿彎折在身下，輕鬆閒適地坐著。畫家將女子安置在一個戶外空間，左方的蘆葦叢與潺潺流水的甕瓶，暗示著她所扮演的寓意角色─泉水。女子身後藍綠色的遠景，天空由上至下，由深變淺，直到海平面像被太陽暈染，透露稀薄的光，像晨曦又像剛西下的傍晚，讓整體氣氛安詳和諧。(林衿郁)

Born in Paris in 1685, Jean-Marc Nattier (1685-1766) was one of the most important portrait painters of King Louis XV’s court. Taught by his painter father Marc Nattier (1642-1705) and uncle Jean Jouvenet (1644-1717) since a young age, he later enrolled in the Paris Academy and took first prize on painting at the age of 15. Although Nattier received the training of history painting, due to economic considerations, he turned to create portrait paintings to better earn a livelihood. He specialized in depicting his objects as Greek or Roman goddesses or allegorical figures. Such a style not only bears striking resemblance to the objects but also involves a kind of elegant idealism, and that was why his portrait paintings were widely acclaimed by the royals and the nobility. This painting is an example of such a combination. In this bust portrait, Nattier highlights the woman in the dark background with the soft light source emitting from her white skin. The smoky dark hair is combed in chignon. She inclines her rosy white cheeks to one side, lowering her eyelids and lazily squinting at the viewers. Wearing a thin creamy-white shirt, she exposes her shoulders and arms with only one slim pearl string as the decoration. The woman appears gorgeous in her plain clothing because of the satin luster on the sapphire cloak. Leaning to the right, she lies on the urn trimmed with patterns. Through the folds of her skirt and the changes of light and dark, viewers may see that she sits down comfortably by bending her right knee and crossing her left leg. The painter locates her in an outdoor space. The reeds and the urn with outflowing water to the left imply the role she plays: spring. The blue-green sky turns from dark to light. Then the sea level seems to be colored by the sun and reveals a touch of dim light at dawn or dust, which creates a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere. (Min Ling TSAI)