Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres’ neoclassical artwork titled “Study for Anacreon,” created between 1824 and 1834, is a portrait with dimensions measuring 28 x 20 cm. Currently housed at the Musée Ingres in Montauban, France, this piece exemplifies the detailed and classicist style of one of the 19th century’s preeminent artists. The genre of the artwork is a portrait, and it reflects the neoclassical movement’s affinity for classical subjects and artistic purity.
The artwork in question portrays a detailed study of a male figure, believed to represent Anacreon, a famed ancient Greek poet known for his hymns and odes, often to the accompaniment of a lyre. Ingres’ portrayal is marked by a sense of immediacy and intimacy, focusing on the rugged and expressive features of the subject’s face. The man’s gaze is slightly averted, with intensely rendered eyes that suggest a contemplative or perhaps distant demeanor. His thick, curly beard and hair further emphasize the classical context, a homage to the depictions of learned men from antiquity.
The brushwork in this study is loose and suggestive, a departure from Ingres’ typically polished and refined finish seen in his final works; thus, highlighting the exploratory nature of a study. The color palette is subdued, employing earthy tones that lend the work a sculptural quality, echoing the marble busts of ancient Greece. The deliberate strokes and the choice of subject matter reaffirm the principles of the Neoclassical movement, which sought to return to the supposed purity and simplicity of Renaissance and ancient art. This artwork, therefore, stands as a testament to Ingres’ dedication to Neoclassicism and his reverence for classical themes.
