Exhibitions/ Portraits by Ingres

Portraits by Ingres: Image of an Epoch

October 5, 1999–January 2, 2000

Exhibition Overview

Widely regarded as the greatest portrait painter of the nineteenth century and one of the most brilliant draftsmen of all time, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780–1867) dominated French painting for over half a century and left an enduring legacy, influencing such varied artists as Cézanne, Degas, Matisse, and Picasso. This major international loan exhibition of his portraits comprises some forty paintings and ninety-two drawings, the largest such assemblage ever presented outside France. Together, they document a pivotal epoch in French history while affording visitors a rare opportunity to appreciate the refinement, originality, and beauty of Ingres's portraiture.


Made possible by The Florence Gould Foundation.

Organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., and The National Gallery, London. Indemnity granted by the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.