JEAN-AUGUSTE DOMINIQUE INGRES (1780—1867)
The Source, 1820—1856, pencil, oil, 163×80
Ingres was a consistent proponent of classicism, continuing the artistic traditions of Raphael. The main element of his visual language is the line. Flexible, pure, smooth, it unites classically flawless and at the same time sensual forms with a soft, refined musical rhythm. A master of form and drawing, Ingres had a great influence on the artists of the next generation, close to him in the nature of their talent—Puvis de Chavannes, Degas, and later Picasso. “The Source” is a painting begun by Ingres in Florence in 1820 and completed in 1856 in Paris. Shown for the first time in the artist’s studio to a group of admirers, it caused general admiration among contemporaries. Interest in it was not exhausted later either; it always attracted the attention of artists such as Seurat, Picasso, Magritte, who studied and copied it.