Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

Perhaps now the most iconic portrait of Emperor Napoléon I, Ingres's painting was originally dismissed as overly gothic, archaic, and even "barbaric." Opulently adorned, the newly crowned emperor is represented among a hodgepodge of Roman, Byzantine, and Carolingian symbols. The intention, to legitimize his claim to authority, is overshadowed by the strangeness of this imposing frontality; his pallid face emerges from layers of ostentatiously regal garb to look past the viewer with a stony gaze.

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres was a French Neoclassical painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic orthodoxy against the ascendant Romantic style.

It appears as though we’ve stumbled into the intimate boudoir of the young Comtesse d’Haussonville. She coyly leans against an upholstered fireplace, having just discarded her evening wrap and opera glasses. She raises her hand to her cheek, softly touching her chin as if she’s wondering why you’re here. Ingres’ ability to capture a range of textures and colors in the portrait is simply breathtaking. One is immediately struck by the subject’s satin gown, which reflects a lavender sheen. Also noteworthy is the ribbon in her hair, reproduced in a brilliant red, which is repeated in her lips. The red adds a brief flash and highlight within a composition dominated by cooler tones of purple and blue.