Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, born in 1780 in Montauban, France, was one of the most important French Neoclassical painters of the 19th century. Renowned for his precise draftsmanship, meticulous attention to detail, and classical aesthetic, Ingres’s work is characterized by its idealized forms, smooth contours, and strong sense of composition. Ingres initially trained in the Neoclassical tradition under the painter Jacques-Louis David, but he later developed his own distinctive style, which combined elements of Neoclassicism with a more sensual and Romantic sensibility. His portraits, such as “Madame Moitessier” and “The Grande Odalisque,” are celebrated for their elegance, grace, and psychological depth.

In addition to his portraits, Ingres also produced historical and mythological paintings, as well as drawings and prints. He was a master of the human form and had a profound influence on subsequent generations of artists, including the Realists and the Symbolists.

Despite facing criticism and controversy for his departure from academic conventions, Ingres’s work is now regarded as some of the finest examples of French painting of the 19th century. He is celebrated for his technical mastery, his refined sense of beauty, and his enduring contribution to the art of portraiture.

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Quotes

1. “It takes 25 years to learn to draw, one hour to learn to paint.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

2. “Do not concern yourself with other people. Concern yourself with your own work alone.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

3. “What do these so-called artists mean when they preach the discovery of the’new’? Is there anything new? Everything has been done, everything has been discovered.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

4. “Drawing is the probity of art. To draw does not mean simply to reproduce contours; drawing does not consist merely of line: drawing is also expression, the inner form, the plane, the modeling. See what remains after that.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

5. “Drawing is the honesty of art.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

6. “Better gray than garishness.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

7. “Make copies, young man, many copies. You can only become a good artist by copying the masters.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

8. “Fine and delicate taste is the fruit of education and experience.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

9. “Is there anyone among the great men who has not imitated? Nothing is made with nothing.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

10. “There is true color, there is nature without exaggeration, without forced brilliance! He is exact.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

11. “Draw lines – draw a lot of lines.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

12. “Muscles I know; they are my friends. But I have forgotten their names.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

13. “A painter can turn pennies into gold, for all subjects are capable of being transformed into poems.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

14. “As long as you do not hold a balance between your seeing of things and your execution, you will do nothing that is really good.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

15. “The way good inventions are made is to familiarize yourself with those of others. The men who cultivate letters and the arts are all sons of Homer.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

16. “You have to observe flowers in order to find the right tones for the folds of clothes.”
— Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres