Sylvester Lord Glenbervie

The remarkable lithograph Sylvester Lord Glenbervie was created in 1815 by the acclaimed French Neoclassical master, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. Executed during the artist’s residence in Rome, this particular print exemplifies Ingres’s early foray into the lithographic technique, a medium that allowed for subtle tonal variation and ease of reproduction far beyond traditional etching and engraving. The precise draughtsmanship employed in this work foreshadows the meticulous detail that would define the artist’s prolific career in portraiture.

Ingres utilized the demanding technique of lithography to capture the likeness of Sylvester Douglas, Baron Glenbervie (1743–1823), a prominent Scottish lawyer, politician, and diarist. Produced while the sitter was in Rome, the portrait print reflects the artist’s dedication to psychological depth and formal clarity, characteristics typical of the French classical tradition he championed. Though Ingres is renowned for his oil paintings and graphite drawings, his mastery of graphic arts provided important contributions to the genre of early 19th-century prints.

This representation of Sylvester Lord Glenbervie serves as a vital document of Ingres’s output while abroad, bridging the gap between his early Parisian training and his established later career. The work reflects the shift in art production taking place in France and across Europe, where new printing techniques democratized access to fine art images. This significant historical print is held in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, whose dedication ensures that resources relating to such classic prints often enter the public domain for scholarly research.