Madame Désiré Raoul-Rochette - Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

A refined 1830 graphite portrait by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, capturing the likeness of Madame Désiré Raoul-Rochette with precise, elegant lines.

This graphite portrait by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres depicts Antoinette-Clarisse-Sophie Raoul-Rochette, the wife of the archaeologist and academic Désiré Raoul-Rochette. Executed in 1830, the work demonstrates the artist's mastery of line and his ability to capture the sitter's presence through minimal means. Ingres, a central figure in the French Neoclassical tradition, produced numerous portrait drawings of his contemporaries during his time in Rome and Paris. These works were often intended as personal gifts or mementos for friends and acquaintances, as evidenced by the inscription in the lower right corner.

The drawing focuses on the sitter's upper torso and head, rendered with a refined, controlled technique. The artist employs delicate hatching to model the forms of the face and the voluminous sleeves of the period dress. The hair, styled in the elaborate fashion of the early nineteenth century, is drawn with precision, showing the artist's attention to the textures of the curls and the decorative headpiece. The composition is balanced, with the sitter positioned in a three-quarter view, her gaze directed towards the viewer with a calm, composed expression. The background remains largely untouched, which directs the viewer's attention to the subtle variations in graphite pressure and the clarity of the contour lines. This approach reflects the artist's belief in the primacy of drawing as the foundation of all visual art. The portrait serves as a record of the social and intellectual circles in which Ingres moved, capturing the fashion and demeanour of the Parisian bourgeoisie during the July Monarchy.