The Archangel Raphael (Study for a stained-glass window in the chapel of Notre-Dame de la Compassion-Saint-Ferdinand, Neuilly)

The Archangel Raphael (Study for a stained-glass window in the chapel of Notre-Dame de la Compassion-Saint-Ferdinand, Neuilly) is a crucial preparatory work executed by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres between 1837 and 1847. This detailed study in graphite serves as a fascinating insight into Ingres’s rigorous process for monumental religious commissions. The drawing was created specifically for the extensive cycle of stained-glass windows commissioned for the chapel dedicated to Notre-Dame de la Compassion-Saint-Ferdinand in Neuilly, Paris, a complex project that required the artist to translate his precise classical drawing style into the vibrant medium of glasswork.

Executed using precise applications of graphite, the work exemplifies Ingres’s foundational belief in le dessin (drawing) as the primary element of art. The figure of Raphael, traditionally depicted as a powerful young man, is rendered with the flowing drapery and idealized physical form characteristic of the Neoclassical master. Although the Archangel is male, the figure possesses the smooth contours and serene composure Ingres often utilized in his portrayals of women, demonstrating an idealized refinement common in his preparatory sketches. The clarity of line and careful attention to light and shadow define the form, ensuring the final composition would read clearly when illuminated by sunlight in the chapel.

The elongated dimensions and the focused detail indicate this study’s intended scale and placement within the architectural structure. This piece demonstrates Ingres’s commitment to formal perfection, even in the preliminary stages of a commission destined for public view. Today, this significant drawing, classified simply as a drawing, is held in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it represents a key component of Ingres’s later career output. As a historically important piece, prints and high-resolution images are widely available for researchers, often falling into the category of public domain art.