Portrait of a gentleman (Marquis de Villeneuve)

Male portraiture occupied a smaller but significant portion of Nattier's output, particularly in his earlier career before the demand for mythological court ladies overwhelmed his practice. The Marquis de Villeneuve portrait of 1710 belongs to the artist's formative years, when he was working in a style still strongly influenced by the academic Baroque tradition of Hyacinthe Rigaud and Nicolas de Largillière. The Marquis de Villeneuve would have been a provincial or Parisian noble of moderate standing—significant enough to commission a named portrait but not among the inner circle of Versailles grandees who dominated Nattier's later career. The work is now classified under the Musées Nationaux Récupération programme, indicating its displacement during the Second World War and subsequent repatriation to French national collections. Male portraits from Nattier's early career are comparatively rare and provide valuable evidence of his development before he found his defining specialty in allegorical female portraiture.

The 1710 date indicates academic Baroque influence in the modelling—stronger chiaroscuro, more sculptural treatment of the face, and a sober palette compared to the pastel-soft tones of Nattier's mature Rococo style. The gentleman's coat and wig receive confident, detailed handling.