The composite print, Sylvester (Douglas) Lord Glenbervie; Katherine Anne (North) Glenbervie; Frederic (North) Earl of Guilford; Frederic Sylvester Douglas by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, features four distinct, intimately scaled portraits printed together on one sheet. Executed in 1815, the work utilizes the relatively new medium of lithograph, showcasing Ingres's willingness to experiment with printmaking technology alongside his established practice in drawing and painting. The sitters are members of the English aristocracy, documenting the personal and professional connections maintained between the esteemed French artist and his British patrons while he was residing in Rome.
Created firmly within the period of 1801 to 1825, this piece reflects Ingres’s rigorous academic classicism, even when applied to the nascent medium of lithography. While Ingres is renowned for his monumental oils, this type of smaller, reproducible print provided a vital source of income and allowed for broader distribution of his portraiture. The precise draftsmanship evident in the four individual likenesses demonstrates Ingres’s characteristic mastery of line, focusing on contour and detailed observation of character. The arrangement of the subjects, though separate studies, functions as a visual record of an interconnected family unit.
As a significant example of early 19th-century portrait prints, this piece holds historical importance, bridging the visual styles of the French tradition with the documentation of English social life. The work is classified as a Print and resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, providing insight into Ingres’s diverse activities during his time abroad. Given the age and classification of the material, high-resolution reproductions of this French masterwork are often available to researchers and the public under public domain guidelines.
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