Madame Moitessier

1851

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

Artist, French, 1780 - 1867

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

Shown from the knees up, a pale-skinned woman wearing an off-the-shoulder, black gown stands in front of a maroon-red wall in this vertical portrait painting. Her body is angled to our left, but she turns her round face to us. Her dark gray eyes seem out of focus, looking slightly off to either side of us, under faint brows. Her nose is straight, her pink lips closed over a pillowy chin, and her cheeks are lightly blushed. Her black hair is parted down the middle and smoothed to each side, pulled back and framed by a garland of flowers that drapes from the crown of her head down to either side of her chin like parentheses. The garland is made of peach-colored roses, burgundy-red flowers, and sage-green leaves. Her sloping shoulders are pale and smooth. The sleeves of the black dress wrapping around her upper arms are edged with a wide band of lace. The edge of a white undergarment is visible along the top of the black dress, which has a tightly fitting bodice. The skirt billows out at the narrow waist to fall in thick, heavy folds off the bottom edge of the painting. A large, oval, red jewel is set into a silvery-gold brooch at the front center of her neckline. Dimples are visible across the backs of both pudgy hands. With her right hand, on our left, she holds the end of a long strand of pearls encircling her neck. On that wrist is a gold bracelet with coin-like disks hanging from thick, gold links, and she wears a gold ring with a pearl and blue and red jewels on that ring finger. Her other arm hangs by her side. There, she wears two bracelets, one of gold and pearl, the other with a medallion of celestial blue enamel surrounding a pearl, also set in gold. Two gold rings with red stones are on the third finger of that hand, and a silver ring with a crest is on her pinky finger. With that hand she holds a closed fan with silver and gold sticks, and the end of a sheer black shawl that wraps up across her back and over the other shoulder. The top two-thirds of the wall behind her is covered by a pattern of stylized wine-red flowers against a muted maroon-red background. A wooden rail divides the top section of the wall from the gray paneling below. A few objects in the lower left corner, seen beyond the edge of her skirt, are difficult to make out, but could include a richly decorated gold and upholstered chair, a glove, and a white, lace-edged handkerchief. The artist signed and dated the painting in the lower left corner of the red patterned wall: “I.A.D. INGRES P.XIT ANO 1851.” The woman’s name appears in the upper right, “M.E INES MOITESSIER NÉE DE FOUCAULD.”

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When his friend Marcotte first suggested that Ingres paint Ines Moitessier, the wife of a financier and jurist, he demurred. Ingres changed his mind after being struck by her "terrible et belle tête" (terrible and beautiful head.) The author Théophile Gautier described her as "Junolike," and Ingres presents her with the imposing remoteness of a Roman goddess. Her stance is severe and strongly silhouetted, her monumental shoulders stark ivory against the somber, restricted colors around her.

Ingres insisted on painting every detail from life, so he could achieve, in his words, "the faithful rendering of nature that leads to art." With minute accuracy he has recorded the light–absorbing darkness of her lace and velvet costume, the gleam of gold jewelry, the gloss of her elaborate coiffure. The emphatic reality of these details contrasts with her unfocused gaze, contributing to the sense that she is somehow removed from life.

Ingres began to pose Madame Moitessier in the 1840s, but the work languished. This second attempt was begun after the aging artist—he was 71—had been roused from depression by the prospect of his remarriage in 1852.

More information on this painting can be found in the Gallery publication French Paintings of the Nineteenth Century, Part I: Before Impressionism, which is available as a free PDF https://www.nga.gov/content/dam/ngaweb/research/publications/pdfs/french-paintings-nineteenth-century.pdf

On View

West Building Main Floor, Gallery 56

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on canvas

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 147 x 100 cm (57 7/8 x 39 3/8 in.)
    framed: 176.5 x 131.4 x 8.9 cm (69 1/2 x 51 3/4 x 3 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1946.7.18

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

The sitter, Marie-Clothilde-Inès, née de Foucauld [1821-1897], and her husband, Paul Sigisbert Moitessier [1799-1889]; their elder daughter, Clothilde-Marie-Catherine, comtesse de Flavigny [1843-1914], by 1911;[1] her sister, Françoise-Camille-Marie, vicomtesse Taillepied de Bondy [1850-1934], by 1921;[2] probably her son, François,[3] comte Taillepied de Bondy [b. 1875]; sold 1935 to (Paul Rosenberg & Co., London, New York, and Paris); sold 1945 to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York;[4] gift 1946 to NGA.
[1] Illustrated in Henry LaPauze, Ingres, sa vie et son oeuvre (1780-1867) d'apres documents inédites, Paris, 1911: 440-446, 452-461, as in the collection of the comtesse de Flavigny.
[2] Cited as belonging to Mme la Vicomtesse Olivier de Bondy in Exhibition Ingres, Association Franco-Américaine, Chambre Syndicale de la Curiosité et des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1921, no. 44.
[3] Information in NGA curatorial files, and from Paul Rosenberg and other sources refer to Marie de Bondy's son as "Comte O. de Bondy." However, published sources on the Taillepied de Bondy family list Marie's sons as François, Robert [predeceases Marie], and Jean; Marie's husband, Comte Olivier de Bondy, predeceases her as well. As the painting was acquired by Paul Rosenberg & Co. in the year following Marie de Bondy's death, it is most likely to have passed through the hands of François, her elder surviving son. As the oldest son, François is also likely to have "Olivier" as part of his given name, though it has not appeared in published genealogical sources.
[4] See The Kress Collection Digital Archive, https://kress.nga.gov/Detail/objects/1316.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1855

  • Exposition universelle, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1855, no. 3366

1921

  • Exhibition Ingres, Association Franco-Américaine, Chambre Syndicale de la Curiosité et des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1921, no. 44, repro.

1936

  • Exhibition of Masters of French 19th Century Painting, Anglo French Art & Travel Society, New Burlington Galleries, London, 1936, no. 2

1937

  • Chefs-d'oeuvre de l'art français, Palais National des Arts, Paris, 1937, no. 351

1938

  • Honderd Jaar Fransche Kunst, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 1938, no. 137, repro.

1939

  • La Peinture Française au XIX siècle, Musej Kneza Pavla (Museum of Prince Paul), Belgrade, 1939, no. 67, repro.

  • La Pintura Francesa de David a nuestros días, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires, 1939, no. 76

  • La Pintura Francesa de David a nuestros días, Salon Nacional de Bella Artes, Montevideo, 1939, no. 13, repro.

1940

  • Exposiçao de Pintura Francesa, seculos XIX e XX, Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, Rio de Janiero, 1940, no. 56

  • The Painting of France since the French Revolution, M.H. De Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, December 1940-January 1941; November 1941-January 1942, no. 59

1941

  • Loan Exhibition of French Painting Presenting a Survey of the Develpment of Modern Art, The Fine Arts Gallery, San Diego, 1941, no. 1

  • Masterpieces of French Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, 1941, no. 85

1944

  • Loan Exhibition of Great Paintings in Aid of Allied Merchant Seamen, The Art Gallery of Toronto, 1944, no. 36, repro.

1946

  • Recent Additions to the Kress Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1946, no. 882.

1999

  • Portraits by Ingres: Image of an Epoch, National Gallery, London; National Gallery of Art, Washington; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1999-2000, no. 133, as Madame Paul-Sigisbert Moitessier, née Marie-Clotilde-Inès de Foucauld, Standing.

2006

  • Ingres 1780-1867, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 2006, no. 160, repro.

2015

  • Ingres, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, 2015-2016, no. 65, repro.

Bibliography

1852

  • Galimard, Auguste. "Un portrait de M. Ingres." Revue des Beaux-Arts III (1852): 49-50.

1855

  • Lacroix, Paul. "M. Ingres à l'Exposition Universelle." Revue Universelle des Arts 2 (1855): 207.

  • About, Edmond. Voyage à travers l'exposition des Beaux-Arts. Paris, 1855: 134.

1867

  • Merson, Olivier. Ingres, sa vie et ses oeuvres. Paris, 1867: 119.

1868

  • Blanc, Charles. "Ingres, sa vie et ses ouvrages." Gazette des Beaux-Arts sér. 1, vol. 23 (1868): 536-537.

1870

  • Blanc, Charles. Ingres, sa vie et ses ouvrages. Paris, 1870: 168.

  • Delaborde, Henri. Ingres, sa vie, ses travaux, sa doctrine. Paris, 1870: 255-256.

1877

  • "Tribunal civil: M. Ingres et le portrait de Mme. Moitessier." La Chronique des Arts et de la Curiosité (15 December 1877): 368-369.

1904

  • Momméja, Jules. Ingres. 1904: 103.

1909

  • Boyer d'Agen, A.-J. Ingres d'après une correspondance inédite. Paris, 1909: 379, 387-388.

1911

  • Lapauze, Henry. Ingres, sa vie et son oeuvre (1780-1867) d'après documents inédites. Paris, 1911: 440-446, 452-461.

1921

  • "L'Exposition Ingres." La Renaissance de l'Art Français et des Industries de Luxe 4 (May 1921): 251, repro.

1924

  • Fröhlich-Bum, Lili. Ingres, sein Leben und sein Stil. Vienna and Leipzig, 1924: 53, pl. 58.

1928

  • Hourticq, Louis. Ingres, l'oeuvre du maître. Paris, 1928: 99.

1936

  • Davies, Martin. "A Painting by the Aged Ingres." The Burlington Magazine 68 (1936): 257-268.

1939

  • Pach, Walter. Ingres. New York and London, 1939: 11.

1942

  • King, Edward S. "Ingres as Classicist." Journal of the Walters Art Gallery 5 (1942): 82.

1943

  • Malingue, Maurice. Ingres. Monaco, 1943: 53, repro.

1946

  • Frankfurter, Alfred M. Supplement to the Kress Collection in the National Gallery. New York, 1946: 84.

1950

  • Alazard, Jean. Ingres et l'Ingrisme. Paris, 1950: 105.

1952

  • Cairns, Huntington, and John Walker, eds., Great Paintings from the National Gallery of Art. New York, 1952: 146, color repro.

1954

  • A. de G. "L'Atelier de M. Ingres." L'Athenaeum Français 3, no. 50 (16 December 1854): 1188-1189.

1956

  • Wildenstein, Georges. The Paintings of J.A.D. Ingres. 2nd edition. London, 1956: 210, no. 260.

1957

  • Mongan, Agnes. "Ingres, et Mme Moitessier." Bulletin du Musée Ingres, Montauban 2 (1957): 3-8.

  • Shapley, Fern Rusk. Comparisons in Art: A Companion to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. London, 1957 (reprinted 1959): pl. 98.

1959

  • Evans, Grose. French Painting of the 19th Century in the National Gallery of Art. Washington, D.C., 1959 (Booklet Number Two in Ten Schools of Painting in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.): 14, color repro.

  • Paintings and Sculpture from the Samuel H. Kress Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1959: 377, repro.

  • Ternois, Daniel. Les Dssins d'Ingres au Musée de Montauban. Vol. 3. Les Portraits. Paris, 1959: unpaginated.

1960

  • The National Gallery of Art and Its Collections. Foreword by Perry B. Cott and notes by Otto Stelzer. National Gallery of Art, Washington (undated, 1960s): 23.

1961

  • Baudelaire, Charles. "Exposition universelle de 1855" in Oeuvres completes. Bibliothèque del la Pléiade, Paris, 1961: 965.

  • Walker, John, Guy Emerson, and Charles Seymour. Art Treasures for America: An Anthology of Paintings & Sculpture in the Samuel H. Kress Collection. London, 1961: 195, repro. pl. 186-187.

1963

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. New York, 1963 (reprinted 1964 in French, German, and Spanish): 218, repro.

1965

  • Mongan, Agnes. "Un Portrait dessiné d'Ingres." Bulletin du Musée Ingres, Montauban 17 (1965): 3-8.

  • Summary Catalogue of European Paintings and Sculpture. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 70.

1966

  • Cairns, Huntington, and John Walker, eds. A Pageant of Painting from the National Gallery of Art. 2 vols. New York, 1966: 2:406, color repro.

1967

  • Mongan, Agnes, and Hans Naef. Ingres Centennial Exhibition. Exh. cat. Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1967: nos. 95, 97, fig. 14.

  • Rosenblum, Robert. "Ingres, Inc." Art News Annual 33 (1967): 66, 77, repro.

  • Rosenblum, Robert. Ingres New York, 1967: 156, pl. 43.

1968

  • Gandolfo, Giampaolo et al. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Great Museums of the World. New York, 1968: 74-75, color repro.

  • Camesasca, Ettore. L'Opera completa di Ingres. Milan, 1968: 114, no. 148 (French ed. 1971).

  • National Gallery of Art. European Paintings and Sculpture, Illustrations. Washington, 1968: 62, repro.

1969

  • Naef, Hans. "New Material on Ingres' portrait of Mme Moitessier." The Burlington Magazine 111 (1969): 149-150.

1971

  • Clark, Kenneth. "Ingres: Peintre de la Vie Moderne." Apollo 93 (1971): 361-364.

1973

  • Naef, Hans. "Une Exposition oubliée chez Ingres." Bulletin du Musée Ingres, Montauban 34 (1973): 23-24.

1974

  • Clark, Kenneth. Another Part of the World: A Self-Portrait. London, 1974: 211.

1975

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1975: 180, repro.

1977

  • Whiteley, Jon. Ingres. London, 1977: 38.

  • Eisler, Colin. Paintings from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: European Schools Excluding Italian. Oxford, 1977: 373-380, figs. 337, 338, text fig. 125.

  • Wilson, Michael. "Madame Moitessier by Ingres." In Painting in Focus Number 7, The National Gallery, London, 1977: unpaginated, fig. 4.

  • Pope-Hennessy, John. "Completing the Account." Review of Colin Eisler, Paintings from the Samuel H. Kress Collection, London 1977. Times Literary Supplement no. 3927 (17 June 1977).

1979

  • Watson, Ross. The National Gallery of Art, Washington. New York, 1979: 104, pl. 91.

1980

  • Ternois, Daniel. Ingres. Milan, 1980: 102-103, repro. 151.

1984

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Rev. ed. New York, 1984: 420, no. 600, color repro.

1985

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985: 208, repro.

1987

  • Wollheim, Richard. Painting as an Art. Princeton, 1987: 272, fig. 264.

1990

  • Zanni, Annalisa. Ingres. Catalogo completo dei dipinti. Florence, 1990: no. 98, repro.

1991

  • Ockman, Carol. "Two Large Eyebrows à l'Orientale: Ethnic Stereotyping in Ingres's Baronne de Rothschild." Art History 14, no. 4 (1991): 524, repro.

1992

  • National Gallery of Art, Washington. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 178, repro.

1995

  • Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History. New York, 1995: 960, fig. 26-44.

  • Vigne, Georges. Dessins d'Ingres. Catalogue raisonné des dessins du Musée de Montauban. Paris, 1995: 491, repro.

  • Vigne, Georges. Ingres. Paris, 1995: 278, repro., 328-329, 335-337.

1996

  • de Roux, Paul. Ingres. Paris, 1996: 19, 79.

1997

  • Dumas, Ann, et al. The Private Collection of Edgar Degas. 2 vols. Exh. cat. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1997: 1:26.

1999

  • Ternois, Daniel. "Lettres d'Ingres à Marcotte d'Argenteuil." Société de l'histoire de l'art français, Archives de l'art français, new period, 35 (1999): 143-147.

  • Portraits by Ingres: Image of an Epoch. Exh. cat. The National Gallery, London; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. New York, 1999: no. 133, color repro.

2000

  • Eitner, Lorenz. French Paintings of the Nineteenth Century, Part I: Before Impressionism. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 2000: 300-310, color repro.

2004

  • Hand, John Oliver. National Gallery of Art: Master Paintings from the Collection. Washington and New York, 2004: 354-355, no. 288, color repro.

2011

  • Dogramaci, Burcu. Wechselbeziehungen: Mode, Malerei und Fotografie im 19. Jahrhundert. Marburg, 2011: 24, 130, color pl. 2.

2012

  • Kennicott, Philip. "French Rooms Reopen, With Different Accents." Washington Post 135, no. 55 (January 29, 2012): E25.

  • Yeide, Nancy H. "The spirit of France: the 1940-46 exhibition of French art in the United States." The Burlington Magazine CLIV (August 2012): 566, n. 19.

Inscriptions

lower center left: I.A.D. INGRES P.XIT ANO 1851; upper right: M.E INES MOITESSIER / NÉE DE FOUCAULD.

Wikidata ID

Q16038633

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