Ingres, Jean Auguste Dominique, << AN gruh, zhahn oh GOOST daw mee NEEK >> (1780-1867), was a leading French artist who painted in the style known as Neoclassicism. Ingres painted many historical, mythological, and religious subjects. However, he is probably most admired for his portraits and female nudes. Ingres’s style emphasizes orderly compositions, smoothly painted surfaces, and precise drawing. Ingres ranks among the finest draftsmen in the history of painting.
Although Ingres is identified with Neoclassicism, he painted in a variety of styles. For example, his painting The Dream of Ossian resembles works painted in the Romantic style because of the way it presents its theme. Several of Ingres’s works reflect the influence of one of his favorite artists, Italian Renaissance painter Raphael.
Ingres was born on Aug. 29, 1780, in Montauban. He studied in Paris with the famous Neoclassical artist Jacques Louis David for four years and then studied and worked in Italy from 1806 to 1824. His altarpiece The Vow of Louis XIII gained Ingres his first acclaim when it was exhibited in Paris in 1824. From 1835 to 1841, Ingres directed the French Academy, an art school in Rome supported by the French government. He died on Jan. 14, 1867.
