Admiral Sir Fleetwood Broughton Reynolds Pellew

Admiral Sir Fleetwood Broughton Reynolds Pellew is a meticulously detailed graphite drawing created by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres in 1817. Executed on high-quality wove paper, this highly refined portrait captures the British naval officer, Admiral Pellew, during Ingres’s stay in Rome. This period marks a high point in the artist's drawing career, where he often executed highly precise commissioned likenesses for visiting British and European aristocracy.

The drawing showcases Ingres's exceptional mastery of line, a hallmark of his Neoclassical style. Unlike his later, more overtly Academic paintings, this piece prioritizes exactitude and clarity. Ingres employed controlled graphite shading to define the contours of the face and the texture of the uniform, emphasizing the subject's steadfast gaze and dignified demeanor. The detailed treatment of the collar and medals subtly communicates Pellew’s elevated rank among Admirals of the British Navy during the post-Napoleonic era.

This work serves as a powerful example of the tradition of military portraits, capturing not only the physical features but the authoritative presence required of high-ranking Navy personnel. The quality of the draftsmanship illustrates why Ingres’s drawings were valued as finished art objects rather than merely preparatory studies. Today, this important piece is part of the extensive collection of drawings housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, providing critical insight into Ingres’s prolific graphic output.