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Gabriel Cortois de Pressigny by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

Gabriel Cortois de Pressigny

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres · 1816

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“Stop to appreciate the refined lines of this etching, which captures the dignified presence of a French ambassador with remarkable clarity and detail. It's a testament to the precision of Neoclassical portraiture.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

In this etching, Gabriel Cortois de Pressigny, the French ambassador to Rome, is captured in a moment of quiet dignity. His gaze, directed slightly away from the viewer, suggests a man of contemplation and authority. The crisp lines of the etching medium lend a precise, almost sculptural quality to his features, from the subtle curve of his lips to the defined bridge of his nose. The artist, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, was working in Rome at this time, and this portrait reflects the Neoclassical ideal of clarity and order. Although the composition is straightforward, the meticulous rendering of the ambassador's clerical attire and the delicate play of light and shadow across his face reveal a deep attention to detail, inviting a close inspection of his character and presence.

DETAILS
Artist
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Date
1816
Medium
Etching on cream wove paper
Location
Art Institute of Chicago
Dimensions
Plate: 26.7 × 19.1 cm (10 9/16 × 7 9/16 in.); Sheet: 39.2 × 29.1 cm (15 7/16 × 11 1/2 in.)
ART MOVEMENTS
Academic artClassicismNeoclassicismRomanticism
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What to Notice

Five details hide in plain sight. Pick one and we’ll show you exactly where to look.

Gabriel Cortois de Pressigny

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01

The calm face

Look at the face first. Fine, tight lines model the cheeks and brow, and the slight smile and steady eyes give him a warm, alert presence.

1 of 5 on the painting
02

Shiny cape folds

On the broad cape, parallel hatched strokes and blank paper make the folds look glossy. Dense lines stay in the shadows while bare paper catches the light.

2 of 5 on the painting
03

Pectoral cross

A small cross hangs from the collar and runs down toward the buttons. It is a sign of his church office, and it sits right on the central line of the figure.

3 of 5 on the painting
04

Lace cuff

Find the cuff at the lower left. Looping, curling lines build a whole lace pattern, and Ingres draws every flourish with the same fine pen-like line.

4 of 5 on the painting
05

Hat on the table

At the right edge, his other hand rests near a dark hat, drawn in dense cross-hatching. This heavy dark patch anchors the corner and balances the pale cape.

5 of 5 on the painting
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THE ARTIST

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

1780–1867 · France

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, a French Neoclassical painter, masterfully blended academic tradition with expressive distortions, influencing modernists like Matisse and Picasso.

Read Ingres’s full story
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More works to explore

Beyond Ingres and Romanticism: works from the same years, and from the other movements Gabriel Cortois de Pressigny belongs to.

The Combat of the Giaour and Hassan Same movement · Academic art The Combat of the Giaour and Hassan Eugène Delacroix · 1826 · Art Institute of Chicago The Estuary Farm Same era · 1800s–1830s The Estuary Farm Léon-Victor Dupré · 1831 · Art Institute of Chicago Head of a Child Same movement · Neoclassicism Head of a Child Jacques-Louis David · 1768 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art General Étienne-Maurice Gérard (1773–1852) Same era · 1800s–1830s General Étienne-Maurice Gérard (1773–1852) Jacques-Louis David · 1816 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Entombment of Christ Same movement · Academic art The Entombment of Christ Caravaggio · 1600 · Pinacoteca Vaticana Wanderer above the Sea of Fog Same era · 1800s–1830s Wanderer above the Sea of Fog Caspar David Friedrich · 1818 · Hamburger Kunsthalle Drunkenness of Noah Same movement · Academic art Drunkenness of Noah Michelangelo · 1509 · Sistine Chapel England: Richmond Hill, on the Prince Regent's Birthday Same era · 1800s–1830s England: Richmond Hill, on the Prince Regent's Birthday J. M. W. Turner · 1819 · National Gallery
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