Katherine Anne Lady Glenbervie

Katherine Anne Lady Glenbervie is a refined print executed by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres in 1815. This specific example, classified as a print, utilizes the medium of lithography, a relatively novel technique at the time of its creation. Ingres, famed primarily for his mastery of Neoclassical painting and drawing, explored various printmaking techniques throughout his long career. This lithograph demonstrates his skill in translating his precise, linear draftsmanship onto the stone plate, emphasizing the clean contours and subtle tonal shifts required for compelling portraiture.

Created during the early stages of Ingres’s professional life, while the artist was deeply engaged with academic traditions, this piece provides valuable insight into early 19th-century French artistic practices. Although Ingres is synonymous with French art, the subject, Katherine Anne, Lady Glenbervie (née North), links the work to Anglo-French social circles. The print captures the sitter’s likeness with the strict fidelity and purity of line characteristic of Ingres's signature style, prioritizing form and clarity over dramatic shadow or expressive technique.

This important work remains a significant example of Ingres's production outside of canvas painting. It is held within the esteemed permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, representing a crucial moment in the history of the print medium. As a foundational work from 1815, Katherine Anne Lady Glenbervie allows researchers access to the artist's early adoption of lithography. Like many important historical prints of this era, high-resolution images of this work are often made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring its widespread accessibility for the study of French art history and 19th-century portrait prints worldwide.