Portrait of Maria Leszczyńska

A second Nattier portrait of Maria Leszczyńska in the National Museum in Warsaw is an interesting presence: the National Museum in Warsaw would naturally have acquired works connected to Polish national history, and a portrait of the Polish-born Queen of France by the foremost French court portraitist represents a significant cultural object for both nations. The undated work may be related to the many versions of royal portraits produced by Nattier's studio when demand for images of the queen exceeded what he could paint personally. Warsaw's acquisition of this work reflects Poland's historical interest in preserving the memory of one of its most prominent daughters, who achieved singular dynastic distinction through her French royal marriage.

Studio versions and variants of royal portraits were standard in the eighteenth century — a painted version was acceptable where an engraving would have been too modest, and workshops produced multiple versions of successful compositions. The Warsaw portrait's technical quality relative to the Versailles version would reveal whether it is an autograph variant or a studio production.