Frederic 5th Earl of Guilford

Frederic 5th Earl of Guilford is a sophisticated portrait executed by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres in 1815. Classified as a Print, this artwork utilizes the relatively new medium of lithography, a technique that allowed Ingres to translate the precision and elegance of his renowned pencil drawings directly into a reproducible format. Created while the artist was residing in Rome, the portrait depicts Frederic North, 5th Earl of Guilford (1766–1827), a significant British statesman and scholar known for his profound interest in Hellenic language and culture.

During the politically turbulent period following the Napoleonic Wars, Ingres frequently catered to English clientele passing through or expatriated to Italy. This specific piece exemplifies the Neoclassical emphasis on pure form and contour, even as Ingres, a master draftsman working within the French tradition, approached the transition toward Romanticism. The lithographic process captures the subtleties of light and shadow, highlighting the sitter's contemplative and scholarly demeanor.

The clarity and graphic intensity achieved in this print demonstrate Ingres's technical versatility beyond his famous oil paintings. His contributions to graphic arts, particularly his lithographs from this Roman period, are highly valued by scholars and collectors. This representation of the 5th Earl of Guilford is currently part of the extensive collection of European prints housed at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Its accessibility through institutions like the CMA helps ensure that the work of masters like Ingres is preserved and that high-quality prints and reproductions are available through the public domain.