Study of Figures

The Study of Figures is a graphite drawing created by the renowned French Neoclassical master, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, spanning the period of his prolific career from 1795 to 1867. Executed primarily in graphite, this preparatory study exemplifies the rigorous academic training Ingres underwent and later championed. The precision and delicate shading inherent in the medium allowed the artist to focus intently on anatomical accuracy and the foundational elements of composition, hallmarks of the Neoclassical tradition he upheld.

Ingres was famously devoted to the detailed drawing of the human form, an essential element for any artist striving for grand historical painting. This particular work, classified strictly as a drawing, features careful observation of men, likely depicting male models posed in the studio, focusing on musculature and defining structure rather than narrative context. Such académie drawings were standard practice during Ingres's time, serving both as classroom assignments and as direct source material for his finished oil paintings. The drawing reflects the discipline demanded by the French Academy, emphasizing precise line (contour) over color, a principle central to Ingres’s aesthetic philosophy.

As a significant example of preparatory work by one of the 19th century’s leading academic figures, the Metropolitan Museum of Art holds this piece in its esteemed collection of master drawings. The continued study of works such as this reveals the meticulous preparation Ingres undertook for his most ambitious compositions. Because many of Ingres’s studies and sketches are now in the public domain, high-quality prints and reproductions allow students and enthusiasts worldwide to analyze the technical brilliance of the master’s hand.