Mademoiselle Mary de Borderieux(?)

Mademoiselle Mary de Borderieux(?), a highly refined portrait drawing created by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres in 1857, exemplifies the artist's masterful draftsmanship late in his career. The work, classified as a drawing, was executed primarily using graphite and watercolor, enhanced by delicate white highlights. This technique allowed Ingres to create a remarkable sense of texture and luminosity on the paper while retaining the linear purity central to his Neoclassical style.

Dating from the period 1851 to 1875, this piece offers insight into the portraiture practices prevalent during the Second French Empire. Ingres, though known primarily as a painter of grand historical canvases, maintained an active and lucrative practice creating intimate pencil and watercolor portraits of society figures, a genre where his meticulous attention to form and contour was unmatched. The subtle application of watercolor suggests color and dimension, particularly in the sitter's hair and clothing, while the white highlights emphasize the sheen of fabrics and the reflection in the eyes.

The subject, tentatively identified as Mademoiselle Mary de Borderieux, is rendered with Ingres's signature precision and penetrating psychological depth. Unlike many of his contemporary French artists, Ingres prioritized the integrity of the line (le dessin) over pure color, ensuring the clarity and definition of the composition. This work beautifully captures the elegance and reserved gravity expected of a high-society woman of the era.

This exceptional example of 19th-century portraiture, showcasing Ingres's ability to infuse simple graphite sketches with the weight and presence of a full painting, is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. The drawing remains a testament to the artist’s commitment to academic principles well into the second half of the century. As a significant historical artifact, high-quality images and related prints of this piece are frequently accessible through museum and public domain archives, ensuring the enduring study of Ingres's unrivaled technique.