INGRES, JEAN AUGUSTE DOMINIQUE (178o 1867), French painter, was born at Montauban, on Aug. 29, 1780. His father has described himself as sculpteur en pldtre. In consequence of the son's talent for music—the lad's perform ance of a concerto of Viotti's was applauded at the theatre of Toulouse—his father at first wished him to take up music. At Toulouse, whither his father had removed from Montauban in 1792, Ingres received lessons from Joseph Rogues, from Vigan, professor at the academy of fine arts, and from Briant, a land scape-painter. The sight of a copy of Raphael's "Madonna della Sedia" came to him as a revelation and confirmed him in his desire to become a painter.
He started for Paris about the close of 1796. He was admitted to the studio of David, for whose lofty standard and severe principles he always retained a profound appreciation. Ingres, after four years of devoted study, during which (i 800) he ob tained the second place in the yearly competition, finally carried off the Grand Prix (18o 1) . The work thus rewarded—the "Am bassadors of Agamemnon in the Tent of Achilles" (kcole des Beaux Arts)—was much admired by Flaxman. In 1804 Ingres exhibited "Portrait of the First Consul" (Musee de Liege) , and portraits of his father and himself (Musee Ingres and Chantilly) ; these were followed in 18o6 by "Portrait of the Emperor" (In valides), and portraits of Mme. and Mlle. Riviere (Louvre). It was not until 18o6 that the state of public affairs admitted of the re-establishment of the Academy of France at Rome. The first year in Rome Ingres produced the portraits of Granet (Musee Aix) and of Madame Devaucay (Musee Chantilly). In 18o8 followed "Oedipus and the Sphinx" and the "Grande Baig neuse" (both in the Louvre). These works were followed by some of his best portraits, that of M. Bochet (Louvre), and that of Mme. la Comtesse de Tournon; in 1811 he finished "Jupiter and Thetis," an immense canvas now in the Museum of Aix, and in 1812 "Romulus and Acron" (Ecole des Beaux Arts). "Don Pedro of Toledo Kissing the Sword of Henry IV." (Collection Deymie; Montauban) was exhibited at the Salon of 1814, together with the "Chapelle Sistine" (Collection Madame Pougin de la Maisonneuve) and the "Grande Odalisque" (Louvre). In 1813 Ingres executed "Raphael and the Fornarina" (Museum of Riga).
During all these years Ingres's reputation in France did not increase. The interest which his "Chapelle Sistine" had aroused at the Salon of 1814 soon died away; amongst his brother artists Ingres found scant recognition. The strict classicists looked upon him as a renegade, and strangely enough Delacroix and other pupils of Guerin—the leaders of that romantic movement for which Ingres, throughout his long life, always expressed the deep est abhorrence—alone seem to have been sensible of his merits. The weight of poverty, too, was hard to bear. In 1813 Ingres had married Madeleine Chapelle, who speedily acquired a faith in her husband which enabled her to combat the difficulties which beset their existence, and which were increased by their removal to Florence.
The good offices of his friend Bartolini, and of one or two other persons, could only alleviate the miseries of this stay in a town where Ingres was all but deprived of the means of gaining daily bread by the making of those small portraits for the execu tion of which, in Rome, his pencil had been constantly in re quest. Before his departure he had, however, been commissioned to paint for de Pastoret the "Entry of Charles V. into Paris," and de Pastoret now obtained an order for Ingres from the Administration of Fine Arts; he was directed to treat the "Voeu de Louis XIII." for the cathedral of Montauban. This work, exhibited at the Salon of 1824, met with universal approbation. On his return Ingres was received at Montauban with enthusiastic homage, and found himself celebrated throughout France.
In the following year (1825) he was elected to the Institute, and his fame was further extended in 1826 by the publication of Sudre's lithograph of the "Grande Odalisque," which, having been scorned by artists and critics alike in 1819, now became widely popular. A second commission from the government called forth the "Apotheosis of Homer" (Louvre), originally meant for a ceiling decoration. One of the finest portraits of this period is that of "Bertinaine" (Louvre). From this date up till 1834 the studio of Ingres was thronged. Whilst he taught with despotic authority and admirable wisdom, he steadily worked; and when in 1834 he produced his great canvas of the "Martyrdom of Saint Symphorien" (cathedral of Autun), it was with angry disgust and resentment that he found his work received with the same doubt and indifference as had met his earlier ventures.
Ingres gladly availed himself of the opportunity to return to Rome, as director of the Ecole de France, in the room of Horace Vernet. There he executed "La Vierge a l'Hostie" (Leningrad), "Stratonice" (Mus. Chantilly), "Portrait of Cherubini" (Louvre) and the "Petite Odalisque" (Coll. Gust. Pereire). The "Stra tonice," executed for the duke of Orleans, had been exhibited at the Palais Royal for several days after its arrival in France, and the beauty of the composition produced so favourable an im pression that, on his return to Paris in 1841, Ingres found himself received with deference. A portrait of the duke of Orleans (Mus. Versailles) was one of the first works executed after his return. In 1845 he painted Madame d'Haussonville (Château Coppet), one of his best female portraits; shortly afterwards he began the decorations of the great hall in the Château de Dampierre, which were begun with an ardour which gradually slackened, until in 1849 Ingres abandoned all hope of their completion, and the contract with the duc de Luynes was cancelled.
Ingres's next considerable undertaking (1853) was the "Apothe osis of Napoleon I.," painted for the ceiling of a hall in the Hotel de Ville (destroyed) ; "Jeanne d'Arc" (Louvre) appeared in 1854; and in 1855 Ingres consented to rescind the resolution, more or less strictly kept since 1834, in favour of the Interna tional Exhibition, where a room was reserved for his works. Prince Napoleon, president of the jury, proposed an exceptional recom pense for their author, and obtained from the emperor Ingres's nomination as grand officer of the Legion of Honour. With re newed confidence Ingres now took up and completed one of his most charming productions—"La Source" (Louvre). In 1862 In gres completed "Christ and the Doctors" (Musee Montauban), a work commissioned many years before by Queen Marie Amelie for the chapel of Bizy.
On Jan. 14, 1867, Ingres died in his 88th year, having pre served his faculties in wonderful perfection to the last. In the same year was opened the Musee Ingres at Montauban, which contains the greatest collection of his paintings and drawings and constitutes a fine memorial to the artist. His art was wholly based on form and line. Except in his "Sistine Chapel," and one or two slighter pieces, Ingres kept himself free from any preoccu pation as to depth and force of colour and tone ; driven, probably by the excesses of the Romantic movement, into an attitude of stricter protest, "ce que ion sait" he would repeat, "il faut le savoir l'epee a la main." His admiration for Raphael inspired the remark, "Je suis done un conservateur des bonnes doctrines et non un novateur." His constant and keen study of nature, how ever, prevented his becoming an eclectic, and we find him at his best whenever he worked from nature. It is not by his wonderful portraiture alone that his art will live. His drawings are cher ished by all lovers of art and his picture the "Grande Odalisque" ranks as one of the finest interpretations of the nude. He had many pupils ; the most important was Chasseriau ; but his influence extended beyond his class and is felt in modern painting. He was worshipped by Gauguin, Puvis, Degas; and the cubists claim him as a kindred spirit.
See H. Lapauze, Ingres, sa Vie et son Oeuvre (19n).