This portrait of Leblanc and that of his wife, Françoise Poncelle Leblanc (19.77.2), were painted in 1823, shortly after Ingres met the couple in Florence. Madame Leblanc was lady-in-waiting to the grand duchess of Tuscany, Napoleon's sister Elisa Bacchiochi. Monsieur Leblanc was the secretary to the grand duchess and governor of the principality of Piombino. Degas, who had a sizable collection of works by Ingres, owned both portraits, which the Museum bought from his estate sale in 1918.

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