User:Madelyn02/Self-Portrait Aged 24

Self-Portrait Aged 24 Artist Jean Auguste Dominique IngresYear 1804, revised c. 1850 Medium Oil on CanvasDimensions 34 x 27.5 inches Location Musée Condé, Chantilly

Self-Portrait Aged 24 is an oil painting self-portrait of the artist, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, and was originally produced in 1804. Ingres is depicted in front of a chalkboard easel, chalk in hand ready to draw or write as he pleases. Ingres was a Neoclassicist, but incorporated romantic ideals into his art. Ingres was born into a naturally artistic family, and his ‘jack of all trades’ genetics shined through when he was enrolled in the Académie Royale de Peinture, Sculpture et Architecture, where he also studied classical painting studied under Jacques-Louis David. Ingres’ run in with harsh art critics during his public exhibitions are what set him apart from other artists in this period, and his stylistic changes were never well received.

Ingres is most known for his portraits, and are categorized by defined outlines of focus shapes, local colors, a clear distinction between dark and light. Ingres tended to borrow historic techiques and connect them back to the figures in his paintings. Self-Portrait Aged 24 is Ingres' earliest self-portrait, and it was reworked between 1804 and 1851. It is crucial to consider the few versions of this piece in order to properly understand and interpret Ingres' meanings behind the brushstrokes.

Background

After Ingres won the Prix de Rome as an aspiring violinist, his confidence in his artistic abilities were heightening, and his sense of identity in the art world was at a peak. This spurred the inspiration for Self-Portrait Aged 24, painted with neoclassical techniques and a new sense of artistic identity. The contours of Ingres’ face are very well defined, connecting his dedication to precision with realism. There is a sense of control in Ingre’s body positioning, suggesting that the figure is confident in himself as a member of society and as an artist with a blank canvas, eagerly awaiting his chalk to hit the board. We can see Ingres’ youthfulness through the technique known as chiaroscuro, or the contrast between light and dark. The shadowed neck and cheek contour lines emit a sense of youth, further represented in the smooth brush strokes that outline his facial features. However, there is a sense of ‘coming to’ in Self-Portrait, and an increasing sense of maturity that Ingres depicts through the front-facing body position.

Versions

Self-Portrait at the Age of Twenty-Four - Marie-Anne-Julie Forestier, 1807

Ingres (1780-1867) as a Young Man - Madame Gustave Héquet, 1861

There are misconceptions about Ingres’ Self-Portrait Aged 24 because the original that was created in 1804 and displayed at 1806 Paris Salon is not currently in existence today. It was at this exhibition where Ingres was met with disheartening remarks from critics, and as a result he made the resentment-centered claim that he would not exhibit again with these kinds of judges. At the time, Ingres was engaged to French painter Marie-Anne-Julie Forrestier. She was the first person to create a copy of Self-Portrait Aged 24 before Ingres left for Rome to cope with his recent run-ins with art critics. M. Forestier's version of Ingres' Self-Portrait is particularly interesting to viewers because of the significant changes from Ingres’ original copy, all of which are assumed because it has since been editted.

In Forestier’s 1807 version of Self-Portrait, the left hand that was originally placed on Ingres’ chest is now extended towards the chalkboard holding a white handkerchief, embroidered with a red "I" in the corner and faded red detailing. We see a blank canvas resembling more of a white easel rather than a chalkboard, and both the style and interpretation of the cloak on Ingres' back have drastically changed, where the copied version displays the cloak as less of a classy drape and more of a force onto Ingres' back. The piece of chalk has dulled slightly as if something has been drawn and has been erased, and the figure's facial features strongly resemble a sense of being startled and lacking confidence. It has been said that in this version Ingres is feeling shame at the easel, and the handkerchief is to represent the erasure of something, such as a hidden lover. Ingres’ body has seeemingly been stretched vertically as well, and we can still see his wedding band as seen in the original 1804 version.

Around 1851, Ingres reworked his 1804 version of Self-Portrait Aged 24. Various analyses have been carried out by the ‘Centre de recherche et de restauration des musees de France’, and have been able to discuss the high possibility that the 1804 version of Self-Portrait is underneath this current surface (the painting housed at Chantilly). The revised version is the most common of all the renditions of Ingres’ self-portrait. Ingres' left hand has been placed on the left side of his chest and the handkerchief has been completely removed. Viewers can see this hand grasping something not visible to the naked eye, and this adds to the mystery and wonder that this painting evokes. ^[2] It is up for interpretation that whatever Ingres is clutching is related to Jean-Pierre-Francois Gilibert, one of Ingres' friends who died around the years when he finished his final revisions on Self-Portrait. Ingres is pictured holding a sharpened piece of chalk in his right hand, with a confident yet stern look on his youthful face.  This youthfulness is represented by the contrast of light and shadows on his cheeks and neck, allowing for smooth brush strokes to represent a softer face than traditional neoclassical portraits,

The figure is seen to be in an off-white button down, seemingly large on the body, along with a half-draped brown cloak on his upper back. There is a sense of elegance highlighted by the way his cloak is draped, not tight on his shoulders, but not falling off his shoulders as if the figure is not in control of himself. The neutral background and a seemingly straight-on position allows for evoked feelings of wonder and intellect about what the figure’s next move will be.

In 1861, Madame Gustave Héquet painted the Portrait of Ingres as a Young Man under the supervision of Ingres himself. The medium is still oil on canvas, and has the same dimensions as the original. The semi-visible white chalked outline of Gilibert is evident in Héquet's rendition. Ingres’ left hand remains holding a washcloth against the chalkboard easel, one that is not personalized and seems as if it is meant specifically for art erasure. Additionally, the wedding ring on his left middle finger is missing. The chalk has a pointier edge, and the viewer can see the stand of the easel in the bottom right hand corner. The more classy cloak of a darker color is placed on Ingres’ back, reinstating the sense of wonder in the painting. The outfit resembles more of a cape than a jacket like in Forestier’s version, and the liveliness and youth of Ingres’ face and cheekbones has been restored.

Analysis

Analysis of the 1804 / 1850 version