Portrait of a Seated Lady

Portrait of a Seated Lady is an exquisite graphite drawing created by the Neoclassical master Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres in 1814. This precise work exemplifies Ingres's highly sensitive approach to commissioned portraits, a genre he practiced extensively while based in Rome. Executed solely in graphite on paper, the drawing showcases the artist's unparalleled technical skill in capturing both the likeness and the refined psychological state of the sitter. The delicate quality of the line work and the subtle modeling of the face and costume reflect the prevailing aesthetic of the period, favoring classical purity and clarity over dramatic expression.

During this phase of his career, Ingres relied heavily on such detailed Portraits of Women to supplement his income, especially when securing large-scale historical commissions proved challenging. The artist meticulously details the seated lady’s contemporary attire and elaborate hairstyle, yet focuses the most intense concentration on her face, achieving an intimate sense of presence through the careful rendering of light and shadow. The clarity and precision characteristic of Ingres’s style ensured that these likenesses were highly sought after by European visitors and expatriates in Italy.

Today, this remarkable drawing is classified as a masterwork of Neoclassical draftsmanship and resides within the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The drawing remains a testament to the artist’s mastery of the pencil medium. Because this historical work is in the public domain, high-quality digital prints and reproductions derived from the museum’s holdings are widely available for study and appreciation.