History of World Art II: Day 65 - Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (August 1780 – January 1867) was a French Neoclassical painter who took decided to oppose the Romantic style popular during his time, that was represented by his rival Eugene Delacroix. With great respect for the past he considered himself to be a painter of history in the tradition of Poussin and Jacques-Louis David. He was also prolific at portraits and these were seen as his greatest legacy by the end of his life.

His influences were, he once explained, were "the great masters which flourished in that century of glorious memory” or the Renaissance. He thought that during this time Raphael set the standard of sublime art, and therefore felt he was a conservator of “good doctrine not an innovator.” But in looking at his artwork and the expressiveness of form and space he is thought to be an important precursor of modern art.

His painting Grande Odalisque, 1814, Oil on Canvas was a modern view of a classical reclining female form. The grand silks and embroidered fabrics combine with gilt gold and exotic peacock feathers to show an odalisque in a Turkish harem. His painting is at once more modern, but more discrete then possible inspiration of Titian’s Venus of Urbino, 1538, which is a look at domestic life of the social elite in Florence, showing a reclining nude female who faces the viewer unabashedly and fully undressed. In Ingres’ painting the figure covers herself and the body is draped, but enough is showing to create a very sensuous scene, but one that could hang in the manor without too much controversy. The painting of the body in both is smooth and alluring, but where Titian focuses on the background details of the Florence household behind the reclining nude, but with so much going on the composition becomes muddled. The opposite is true in Ingres' painting; a lot of time has been spent on the details of the fabric and bedding enveloping his odalisque - the crispness of line, color and light bring to mind Vermeer's brightly lit genre scenes, even the choice of colors echo Vermeer's deep blues, yellows and golds. The chiaroscuro, or darkened background with hazy details and the diagonal of fabric flowing from the top right corner and diagonal position of the woman's body help to focus all attention on the figure.