Auguste-Jean-Marie Guénepin

Auguste-Jean-Marie Guénepin is an intimate portrait drawing created by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres in 1809. This early work, executed meticulously in graphite on wove paper, is characteristic of the precision that defined the artist’s prolific output of independent drawings and preparatory studies. Ingres, a master of Neoclassicism, was renowned for his insistence on the supremacy of line, and this portrait exemplifies his technical brilliance in draftsmanship.

Completed early within the historical period spanning 1801 to 1825, the drawing captures the sitter's features with clean contours and subtle, modulated shading. The medium of graphite allows for extreme control and fidelity, detailing the texture of the clothing and conveying the subject’s composed and intelligent demeanor. Unlike many of his contemporary portraitists, Ingres prioritized psychological depth and the exact rendering of form, characteristics that define his influential French style.

Though Ingres spent much of this era in Italy, his meticulous approach reflects the academic standards of drawing prevalent in Paris during the early 19th century. Works like Auguste-Jean-Marie Guénepin served not only as records of prominent individuals but also as crucial demonstrations of the artist's commitment to classical ideals. The drawing offers valuable insight into the development of Ingres’s unique portraiture technique during a pivotal phase of his career.

This historic drawing is preserved in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. As with many important cultural artifacts, high-quality prints and reproductions of the work are frequently made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring broad access to this significant example of early 19th-century French graphic art.