Comtesse Charles d’Agoult (born Marie de Flavigny) and Her Daughter Claire d’Agoult

The intimate portrait drawing, Comtesse Charles d’Agoult (born Marie de Flavigny) and Her Daughter Claire d’Agoult, was executed in 1849 by the celebrated neoclassical master, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (French, 1780–1867). This exquisite piece, classified simply as a drawing, captures two important figures of 19th-century Parisian society.

Ingres utilized graphite as the primary medium, a characteristic choice for his renowned portraits dessinés. The precision of the graphite lines is expertly enhanced by delicate highlights, which the artist achieved through the application of white opaque watercolor. Further complexity is added with subtle touches of yellow watercolor applied to the original off-white wove paper, which was subsequently lined to a secondary wove paper for stability and preservation.

The Comtesse Charles d’Agoult (1805–1876), born Marie de Flavigny, was a prominent French writer and intellectual, known under her pen name Daniel Stern. She was a major figure in Romantic-era salon culture and the mother of Cosima Wagner. This double portrait captures the tender relationship between mother and daughter, reflecting Ingres’s lifelong dedication to the classical tradition and his unparalleled skill in capturing individual likeness.

Ingres completed this work during a tumultuous period in France, yet his meticulous draftsmanship remained steadfastly focused on the purity of line and form. As one of the most significant French drawings of the era, the work resides in the esteemed collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a critical example of 19th-century portraiture. Because of its age and cultural importance, high-quality prints and references of this French masterwork are often made available through public domain initiatives worldwide.