Focus on Self-Portrait (Ingres) and discuss the Context.
Ingres was a painter, draftsman, and violinist whose work art scholars have described as having a musical character because of its melodic flowing lines and soft, harmonic coloration. Art scientists consider Ingres, after Jacques-Louis David, to be the head of the French Classicist school. Ingres is noted for his genre scenes, mythological scenes and portraits.Before his effective entry into the Antwerp Academy in 1857, Ingres was an additional member of the academic corps. He could only officially join after the death of Paul Delaroche, and was asked to provide a work of art and a self-portrait. His artwork would hang in the Museum van de Akademiekers, which was founded by the Academy in 1852. The sick old artist found it difficult to comply. On July 3, 1865, he wrote a letter to the Academy to apologize: Je regrette d'avoir tant tardé à envoyer mon portrait à l'Académie d'Anvers, comme je l'avais promis. J'espère que l ' Académie et vous, Monsieur le Président, voudrez bien m'excuser en égard à mon âge et à l'irrégularité de ma santé, qui ne m'ont pas permis de remplir plus tôt cet engagement.The Academy insisted and the elderly artist, then in poor health, eventually donated this self-portrait as a token of gratitude for his entry into the Academy. He based this on two self-portraits from 1858 and 1859. All three works go back to a photo that was taken around 1855. Alphonse Masson made an etching after the photo in question. The magazine l'Artiste published the latter in its edition of April 5, 1857.
Antwerp Paul Delaroche Jacques-Louis David