Art Whisper Open the appOpen app
Joseph-Antoine Moltedo (born 1775) by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

Joseph-Antoine Moltedo (born 1775)

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres · 1805

Scroll

“Stop to appreciate the intense gaze and pristine rendering of Joseph-Antoine Moltedo, a portrait that captures a man with remarkable clarity and presence through the artist's meticulous brushwork.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

This striking portrait captures Joseph-Antoine Moltedo (born 1775), a man whose direct gaze and confident posture draw us in. Painted in 1805, the artwork presents Moltedo in a dark, tailored coat and a crisp white cravat, his features rendered with a smooth precision that makes his skin seem almost porcelain-like. The artist, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, was just 25 when he created this piece, which already shows his meticulous attention to detail and his ability to convey a sitter's presence. The subdued background allows Moltedo to dominate the composition, emphasizing his individuality and the subtle nuances of his expression. This work aligns with the Neoclassical ideal of clarity and order, presenting a calm and dignified subject without dramatic flourishes, yet with a palpable sense of inner life.

DETAILS
Artist
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Date
1805
Medium
Oil on canvas
Location
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dimensions
29 5/8 x 22 7/8 in. (75.2 x 58.1 cm)
Collection
European Paintings
Credit line
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
ART MOVEMENTS
Academic artClassicismNeoclassicismRomanticism
LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

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

Joseph-Antoine Moltedo (born 1775)

← → step through · Esc to close
5 details are marked · pick a number
01

The calm, direct face

Look at the smooth, rosy face and level gaze. Ingres makes a young man seem both relaxed and a little amused, with a faint smile.

1 of 5 on the painting
02

Crisp white cravat

The frilled white cravat and shirt are painted in soft creams and greys, with a lacy ruffle at the chest. Their brightness draws the eye up to the face.

2 of 5 on the painting
03

Velvety coat collar

The big olive-brown coat has a dark brown collar with broad, softly folded lapels. Its heavy, velvety look contrasts with the fine linen at the throat.

3 of 5 on the painting
04

The Colosseum behind him

At the right horizon, the Colosseum sits small under the clouds. It places the sitter in Rome, where he was painted.

4 of 5 on the painting
05

Hand with a ring

Near the bottom right, his hand grips the coat edge and a small ring catches the light. The fingers look soft and almost delicate.

5 of 5 on the painting
AUDIO DEEP DIVE

Stand in front of it and listen

The full narration walks you through Joseph-Antoine Moltedo (born 1775) — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.

Get the free app
0:00Preview · 0:30Free preview · 0:30 Hear the full story in the app
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
MORE FROM THIS ARTIST

Further Works by Ingres

1 / 2
Amédée-David, the Comte de Pastoret Amédée-David, the Comte de Pastoret 1823 · Art Institute of Chicago The Virgin Adoring the Host The Virgin Adoring the Host 1841 · Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts Joséphine-Éléonore-Marie-Pauline de Galard de Brassac de Béarn (1825–1860), Princesse de Broglie Joséphine-Éléonore-Marie-Pauline de Galard de Brassac de Béarn (1825–1860), Princesse de Broglie 1853 · Metropolitan Museum of Art Frederic Sylvester Douglas Frederic Sylvester Douglas 1815 · Art Institute of Chicago Gabriel Cortois de Pressigny Gabriel Cortois de Pressigny 1816 · Art Institute of Chicago Pierre Alexandre Tardieu Pierre Alexandre Tardieu 1825 · Art Institute of Chicago View of Saint Peter's in Rome View of Saint Peter's in Rome Art Institute of Chicago Alexander the Great presenting Campaspe to Apelles Alexander the Great presenting Campaspe to Apelles 1810 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
EXPLORE THE MOVEMENT

More from Romanticism

1 / 1
A Limekiln, Possibly at Briton Ferry in South Wales A Limekiln, Possibly at Briton Ferry in South Wales Turner · 1797 · Yale Center for British Art The Monk by the Sea The Monk by the Sea Friedrich · 1800 · Alte Nationalgalerie The Third of May 1808 The Third of May 1808 Goya · 1814 · Museo del Prado Male Academy Figure: Half-Length, Side View Male Academy Figure: Half-Length, Side View Delacroix · 1819 · Karen B. Cohen Collection
KEEP EXPLORING

More works to explore

Beyond Ingres and Romanticism: works from the same years, and from the other movements Joseph-Antoine Moltedo (born 1775) 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 A Thames Backwater with Windsor Castle in the Distance Same era · 1790s–1820s A Thames Backwater with Windsor Castle in the Distance J. M. W. Turner · 1805 · National Gallery Head of a Child Same movement · Neoclassicism Head of a Child Jacques-Louis David · 1768 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Napoleon Crossing the Alps Same era · 1790s–1820s Napoleon Crossing the Alps Jacques-Louis David · 1800 · Musée national de Malmaison et Bois-Préau The Entombment of Christ Same movement · Academic art The Entombment of Christ Caravaggio · 1600 · Pinacoteca Vaticana Wanderer above the Sea of Fog Same era · 1790s–1820s 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 Saturn Devouring His Son Same era · 1790s–1820s Saturn Devouring His Son Francisco Goya · 1820 · Museo del Prado
Hear Joseph-Antoine Moltedo (born 1775)’s storyFree in the Art Whisper app Open