Study for the Drapery of Molière in "The Apotheosis of Homer"

Study for the Drapery of Molière in "The Apotheosis of Homer" by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres is a detailed preparatory drawing exploring volume and texture for one of the artist's most significant commissions. Executed in black chalk enhanced with stumping and precise line work, the drawing demonstrates the meticulous planning characteristic of the Neoclassical process. Ingres, placing supreme importance on draftsmanship (dessin), focuses intensely on how light interacts with the deep, complex folds of heavy fabric, creating sharp tonal contrasts through careful modeling. This piece was instrumental in developing the compositional element representing the celebrated French playwright Molière within the grand scheme of the finished 1827 painting, The Apotheosis of Homer.

As a leading figure of the Neoclassical movement, Ingres approached preparatory studies with the rigor and gravity usually reserved for final paintings. The precise rendering of drapery was essential for conveying both the monumentality and the sense of idealized form required by academic history painting. This study, likely dating from the mid-1820s period of intense artistic preparation, showcases Ingres's commitment to visual idealism over naturalistic texture.

The mastery of line and shadow evident here provides invaluable insight into the methodical techniques of the 19th-century master. Today, this drawing resides in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because the original work is classified as public domain material, researchers, students, and collectors frequently access high-quality images and prints of this essential step in Ingres’s artistic design process. This focus on a single detail, rendered with the solemnity of a finished work, underscores why Ingres remains one of the most revered draftsmen in Western art history.