Artwork
Auguste-Jean-Marie Guénepin
Auguste-Jean-Marie Guénepin is a graphite drawing by the Romanticist artist Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. It dates from 1809 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The drawing *Auguste-Jean-Marie Guénepin* is a graphite portrait on wove paper created by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres in 1809. It exemplifies Ingres's skill in portraiture, a genre that contributed significantly to his reputation.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts a man, Auguste-Jean-Marie Guénepin, with a serious expression, dressed in formal attire and holding a book or papers. The subject's introspective pose and the presence of written materials suggest a contemplative or intellectual individual.
Technique & Style
Ingres employed graphite on wove paper to achieve a high level of detail, particularly in the subject's facial features. The contrast between the precise rendering of the figure and the subtle treatment of the background highlights Ingres's technical skill and stylistic nuance.
Context
As a work by Ingres, *Auguste-Jean-Marie Guénepin* reflects the artist's position at the intersection of Neoclassicism and emerging modern art tendencies, characterized by his use of expressive distortions.
Artist & collection
Artist
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…
