This painting, an unfinished repetition of the celebrated Grand Odalisque of 1814 in the Louvre, is cited in a list compiled by Ingres of works he had painted between 1824 and 1834. Although the quality of execution is not as fine as that of the version in Paris, there is no reason to question its attribution to Ingres; nevertheless, the artist may have invited collaboration from his assistants according to his usual practice. When the Grand Odalisque was exhibited in the Salon of 1819, critics considered the anatomical distortions bizarre and the Turkish accessories out of fashion. The painting did not receive its deserved praise until it was shown again in 1846 and 1855. It is now recognized as central to Ingres' conception of ideal beauty.

The Museum's repetition in grisaille passed from the artist's estate to his widow; it was not publicly exhibited until the twentieth century.

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