Joséphine-Éléonore-Marie-Pauline de Galard de Brassac de Béarn (1825–1860), Princesse de Broglie

Joséphine-Éléonore-Marie-Pauline de Galard de Brassac de Béarn (1825–1860), Princesse de Broglie is a commanding oil on canvas portrait created between 1851 and 1853 by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. Executed late in the artist’s career, this work stands as a definitive testament to the longevity of the Neoclassical tradition amid the rise of Romanticism in France. Ingres captures the elegance and reserved nature of his subject, a prominent member of French high society, through immaculate draftsmanship and polished technique.

The painting is celebrated for its precise execution, particularly the rendering of textiles and surfaces. The Princesse de Broglie is shown wearing an elaborate evening dress of luminous blue satin, offset by white lace, pearls, and gold jewelry. Ingres’s mastery is evident in the almost enamel-like quality of the paint, contrasting the sitter’s carefully modeled face and shoulders with the richly textured fabrics surrounding her. The deliberate elongation of her neck and arms, a stylistic choice typical of Ingres, imparts an ethereal grace to the figure, emphasizing her status and beauty. The composition focuses entirely on the woman, set against a dark, undifferentiated background that pushes her forward into the viewer’s space.

This iconic portrait of women’s refinement in the mid-nineteenth century is a cornerstone of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. Ingres’s insistence on the primacy of line and form over color establishes this piece as a key work documenting the academic standards of the era. As a celebrated historical artifact, high-quality prints of the Princesse de Broglie are frequently made available through various public domain resources, allowing global access to this celebrated masterpiece.