Merry Joseph Blondel (1781–1853)

Merry Joseph Blondel (1781–1853) is a masterfully realized graphite drawing by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, executed in 1809. This striking piece captures the likeness of the history painter Merry Joseph Blondel, a contemporary and fellow student of Ingres during their time studying at the French Academy in Rome. The work is characteristic of the highly sought-after portrait drawings Ingres created to document his circle and secure income during his early maturity abroad. It reflects the profound neoclassical emphasis on absolute precision of line and form prevalent during the Napoleonic era.

Classified strictly as a drawing, the medium is pure graphite on paper, demonstrating Ingres's renowned technical skill in rendering volume through meticulous contour and delicate shading. Ingres renders the subject, one of the significant men of the French Romantic and Neoclassical transition, with clear, unwavering lines and subtle tonal shifts, expertly defining Blondel’s sharp features and the tightly curled hair. The intimate nature of the format allows for intense focus on the sitter’s psychological presence, offering a penetrating glimpse into the artist’s social network.

This elegant portrait drawing is now preserved in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ingres often utilized this precise drawing format to capture intimate yet formal likenesses that secured his reputation as a draughtsman. As the source material is historic and internationally recognized, high-quality prints derived from this influential study are now widely available, often entering the public domain. This piece remains a crucial document, showcasing Ingres’s early career mastery of the graphic arts before he fully dedicated himself to grand historical oil commissions.