The Architect Charles-Victor Famin

The Architect Charles-Victor Famin is a precise graphite drawing created by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres in 1836. This intimate work captures a detailed portrait of the subject, Charles-Victor Famin (1809-1859), a noted architect whom Ingres befriended during his time in Rome. The drawing exemplifies Ingres’s mastery of line, focusing intently on the sitter’s features, particularly his contemplative gaze and the meticulous rendering of his attire. Famin is presented in a three-quarter pose, suggesting both intellect and reserved professionalism, hallmarks of the distinguished men Ingres frequently portrayed.

Ingres was perhaps the most renowned portraitist of his era, and while he is famous for his major oil canvases, his drawings are equally critical examples of his exacting technique. Unlike many of his contemporaries who reserved drawings for preparatory studies, Ingres used graphite to produce highly finished, stand-alone portraits, often as commissioned souvenirs for wealthy visitors or friends. The medium allows for crisp clarity and subtle shading, evident here in the detailed rendering of Famin’s hairstyle and the structure of his face. Ingres captured the architect’s steady bearing and seriousness, essential traits for a man dedicated to Neoclassical design principles.

This refined portrait of Famin showcases Ingres's commitment to purity of form and Neoclassical draftsmanship. The piece is highly significant, representing a high point in 19th-century French portraiture, prioritizing linear precision over expressive brushwork. The Architect Charles-Victor Famin holds a prominent place within the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s esteemed collection of drawings. Because of the artwork's age and historical importance, high-quality prints and reproductions are often available through public domain archives, allowing researchers and enthusiasts worldwide to study Ingres's technical precision directly.