Ingres

Discover the refined world of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780-1867), the great French draftsman whose elegant portraits, classical subjects, and devotion to line defined the Neoclassical tradition. This pocket guide traces his long and influential career, revealing what to look for in his polished surfaces, precise contours, elongated figures, richly described fabrics, and carefully controlled compositions. Learn how Ingres balanced his admiration for Raphael and antiquity with a distinctive sensuality and subtle distortion that later fascinated modern artists. Engaging biographical insights, memorable anecdotes, a personal portrait, and selected quotations illuminate his artistic principles and famously determined personality. A focused study of one celebrated masterpiece examines the tension between ideal beauty and inventive form that characterizes his work. Featuring more than 65 full-color reproductions, this compact guide introduces an artist whose technical mastery and individual vision continue to reward close looking.