Amédée-David, the Comte de Pastoret

Amédée-David, the Comte de Pastoret is a profound oil on canvas painting created by the celebrated French artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres between 1823 and 1826. This complex creation period reflects the demanding and highly finished nature of Ingres’s portraiture during the early 19th century. As one of the preeminent draftsmen of his time, Ingres employed his signature smooth surface finish and meticulous attention to line, defining characteristics of his adherence to the Neoclassical tradition.

The sitter, Amédée-David de Pastoret, was a prominent administrative figure in France whose family was closely associated with Parisian intellectual and political life during the Restoration period. Ingres meticulously captured the Comte's imposing yet thoughtful presence, a quality central to his official commissions. While the precision in rendering the sitter’s elaborate attire and the detailed background elements speaks to a high degree of realism, the composition maintains a characteristic Ingresian idealization, particularly in the subtly elongated lines and smooth contours of the form. This careful balance between capturing contemporary fashion and referencing classical sculptural tradition solidified Ingres's position as the foremost portraitist of elite society in 19th century France.

This formal portrait is highly regarded as a key example of Ingres’s mature practice and remains an important holding within the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The museum recognizes this canvas as critical to understanding the shifting artistic landscape of the 19th century. Although this specific work, Amédée-David, the Comte de Pastoret, is strictly protected under institutional guidelines, the artistic contributions of this French master frequently see related preparatory drawings or early sketches enter the public domain, allowing for the widespread dissemination of images and high-quality prints for scholars and enthusiasts globally. The finished painting serves as a vital document of power and aesthetics in post-Napoleonic France.