The artwork titled “Charles Thevenin” is a distinguished example of neoclassical portraiture by the renowned artist Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, created in the year 1817. Demonstrating the rigor and clarity characteristic of Neoclassicism, this portrait forms an essential part of Ingres’s body of work. As of the last available information, this particular portrait resides within a private collection.
The artwork captures the sitter, presumably Charles Thevenin, with a frank directness that is emblematic of Ingres’s portraiture style. Seated comfortably, the subject is depicted in a relaxed posture, lending a sense of immediacy and intimacy to the drawing. Thevenin is adorned in attire befitting the period, with a waistcoat, a jacket, and a cravat. His visage is rendered with meticulous attention to the contours and details of his face, suggesting a personality that is both genial and contemplative.
The artist’s use of line is meticulously controlled yet full of expression, with subtle variations in shading to model the form. The figure occupies a position of prominence against the spare background, allowing the viewer to focus solely on the character and bearing of the subject. The positioning of the figure in a stately chair suggests a certain stature and dignity, while the intricacies of the facial features and the hands convey a sense of the individual’s temperament and disposition.
Ingres’s portrayal is not merely a record of Thevenin’s likeness, but rather an exploration of character and social status, underlying themes commonly found in neoclassical portraiture. The artist’s mastery in capturing the essence of his subject with such economy of line and detail reflects the prevailing artistic values of the time, where simplicity and purity of form were held in high esteem.