Baroque and Beyond C. 1600–1850

Romanticism

Who was Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres?

The art of French painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780–1867) exhibits a curious combination of Neoclassical and Romantic values, though he was determined to hold on to traditional Neoclassical values and was considered a nemesis of the much looser Delacroix. He was inspired by the Renaissance painting of Raphael, as well as the Revolutionary artist, Jacques-Louis David. While interested in history painting, Ingres is better known for his sensual portraits of female nudes, especially paintings such as La Grand Odalisque (1814), which depicts a sultan’s concubine reclined languidly on luxurious, colorful fabrics. La Grande Odalisque is an example of Orientalism, or a Romantic interest in the exotic east. In the painting, the elongated form of the concubine, along with objects of eastern luxury, such as a fan made of peacock feathers and ornate jewelry, were decidedly Romantic, despite Ingres’ preference for Neoclassicism and apparent distaste for portraiture.



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