Portrait of Sylvester (Douglas), Lord Glenbervie

The Portrait of Sylvester (Douglas), Lord Glenbervie is a distinguished etching created by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres in 1815. This print captures the renowned British statesman and nobleman, Sylvester Douglas, in a formal yet intimate depiction, showcasing Ingres’s characteristic mastery of precise line work. Executed while the artist was developing his iconic Neoclassical style, the work offers valuable insight into the practice of portraiture within the European elite during the post-Napoleonic era.

As an example of refined men's portraits from the early 19th century, this piece minimizes background detail to focus intensely on the subject's expression and bearing. Ingres employed the exacting technique of etching, which, as a classification of print, allowed him to achieve fine gradations of shadow and texture through economical and controlled strokes. The approach exemplifies the Neoclassical ideal of achieving psychological truth through objective representation, avoiding the dramatic flair associated with emerging Romanticism.

Ingres’s commitment to draftsmanship ensured that even these smaller-scale works maintained the integrity and dignity found in his large-format paintings. Today, the work is a significant holding within the print collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, representing a crucial period in the career of the French master. Given the etching’s historical importance and age, high-resolution prints of this definitive portrait are frequently made available through public domain resources, serving as educational materials for the study of 19th-century graphic arts.