The artwork titled “Study for the ceiling of City Hall. Figure symbolizing the city of Madrid” is a creation by the renowned artist Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, dated back to 1853. This design, a paradigm of the Neoclassicism art movement, measures 25 by 39 centimeters. Currently, it resides in the Musée Bonnat in Bayonne, France. The piece serves as a preparatory study for a more significant commission, reflecting the artist’s meticulous approach to compositional detail and his reverence for classical antiquity.
The artwork portrays a reclining female figure, which serves as an allegorical representation of the city of Madrid. Ingres’s mastery in draftsmanship is evident here, with the figure rendered with delicate, precise pencil lines that capture the subtleties of form and drape. She is attired in classical garb that drapes elegantly across her body, emphasizing the neoclassical aesthetic that Ingres is renowned for. The female figure has a serene and contemplative expression, gazing off into the distance. Her pose is relaxed yet majestic, with one arm gracefully supporting her as she leans back, and the other arm resting on her leg.
The choice of attire and the style in which the figure is executed evoke the values and visual language of the classical era, which were central to the Neoclassical movement. The artwork is restrained in its tone, devoid of extraneous detail or embellishment, allowing the viewer to focus on the purity of the figure’s form and the harmony of the composition. Despite its unfinished state, the drawing exhibits a sense of completeness and confidence, indicative of Ingres’s skill in conveying complex ideas through powerful, yet understated imagery.