Jean-Auguste Ingres
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780-1867) was a seminal French painter who championed Neoclassicism during a period that saw the rise of Romantic painters like Eugène Delacroix.
Though Ingres was an artist known to follow his own impulses he was still a devout student of cultural conservatism, never straying completely from Neoclassical’s new but traditional beliefs. As his father was an artist, Ingres likely began training at an early age. He studied under Jacques-Louis David for four years and was profoundly influenced by him, as well as by the works of antiquity he saw in the Louvre. Ingres considered himself the protector of French academic orthodoxy and fought against the rising popularity of Romanticism. He did not enjoy painting violent battle scenes like others during his time did. Instead, he took inspiration from Orientalism and he saw himself as a history painter, the highest goal of academic art which centered on study from the nude and classical art. Under the influence of Italian art, particularly Raphael, Ingres mastered portraiture. After his death in 1867, Ingres left behind many fans but no pupils to carry on the Neoclassicism legacy.
My first impression of Ingres’ work was that it seemed very dramatic, eventful, and passionate. It appears very monotone, but I think Ingres created great depth with his values and uses great contrast between subject and background. The attention to detail put into the pieces amazes me and I thoroughly adore the way he paints fabric and clothing in general.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Auguste-Dominique_Ingres
https://www.britannica.com/biography/J-A-D-Ingres
https://www.theartstory.org/artist/ingres-jean-auguste-dominique/artworks/
https://www.jeanaugustedominiqueingres.org/
https://www.artble.com/artists/jean_auguste_dominique_ingres
Images:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Ingres%2C_Self-portrait.jpg
https://painting-planet.com/images/7/image893.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/The_Virgin_Adoring_the_Host.PNG
https://collectionapi.metmuseum.org/api/collection/v1/iiif/459106/1964622/main-image
Megan,
Nice work on Ingres! He was indeed a bit of a reactionary in the art of the time with his rejection of Romanticism but that said his smooth style of painting resonates to this day. Good solid research and personal feelings about the artist. Well done!
Jeff