Artwork
Odalisque
Odalisque is a print by the Romanticist artist Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. It dates from 1825 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres created this lithographic print as a faithful reproduction of a previously executed oil painting.
About this work
Overview
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres created this lithographic print as a faithful reproduction of a previously executed oil painting. While the primary aim was to disseminate the composition, the work also marks Ingres’s early foray into lithography, a medium he was still mastering at the time.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents a reclining female figure, shown in profile with her back turned toward the viewer. She is dressed in loose, flowing trousers and a modest headscarf, evoking the traditional odalisque motif that blends exotic suggestion with a study of the human form.
Technique & Style
Despite the novelty of the lithographic process for Ingres, the print displays his characteristic precision. The lines are rendered with a clarity that mimics ink on paper rather than the grainier texture typical of early lithographs, highlighting his controlled draftsmanship and attention to the subtle modeling of fabric and skin.
History & Provenance
The lithograph was produced to publicize the original painting, extending its reach beyond the confines of a single exhibition. Its creation reflects Ingres’s interest in expanding his artistic repertoire, while the print itself has circulated among collectors and institutions as a representative example of his work in printmaking.
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…
