Portrait of a Young Woman

The delicate Portrait of a Young Woman by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (French, 1780–1867) is a seminal example of the artist's draftsmanship, executed in 1812. This remarkable drawing, rendered in precise graphite on off-white wove paper, showcases the masterful control of line that characterized Ingres’s early career while he resided in Rome. Created during the height of the Neoclassical period, this French work reflects the academic tradition prioritizing clarity, structural precision, and the restrained idealization of the human form.

Ingres utilized graphite to achieve a striking yet elegant definition of the sitter, focusing intensely on the contours of her face, the fall of her drapery, and the minute details of her elaborate hairstyle. The simplicity of the medium allows the viewer to concentrate solely on the subject's poised expression, which is rendered with an intensity typical of preparatory studies created before a major oil commission. Unlike his highly finished oil paintings, this drawing emphasizes spontaneity and the underlying structure of the human form, defining the features with meticulous cross-hatching and subtle shading rather than heavy modeling.

As an artist who skillfully bridged the gap between late Neoclassicism and early Romanticism, Ingres's detailed drawings are highly valued as evidence of his exacting process and his unwavering commitment to outline. Although dating from the Napoleonic era, this piece remains relevant today, frequently studied by artists and historians for its technical brilliance. This significant drawing is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a foundational example of 19th-century European draftsmanship. High-quality images of this historical work are often made available through public domain initiatives associated with the museum’s comprehensive digital archives.