Ingres And Duveneck: Painting Analysis

The paintings of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and Frank Duveneck show the juxtaposition between the high society, in the portrait of Mademoiselle Jeanne Gonin, and the gritty working class population, in the painting The Cobbler’s Apprentice. These oil-on-canvas portraits reflect their differences through stylistic qualities and subject matter, through the use of brush stoke and light they convey different messages to the viewer.
Ingres’ painting of a somber looking wealthy woman is an oil-on-canvas, approximately 36 inches tall, and 30 inches wide. Lines and shadows from the face draw the viewer’s eye down towards the detailing on the lace collar. The eye continues to move down the piece through the use of line with the gold necklace, the gold popping out to the viewer against the dark violet hues
One is also drawn to the folds and creases of what looks to be a velvet dress. The eye stops at the hands of the woman and notices her rings and the contrasting nature of her pale white skin to her dark clothes. Brush strokes throughout the painting are minimally seen, creating a very smooth looking painting. The palette used is predominately dark, the darkest parts of the painting would be her dress, eyes, and hair. They contrast greatly with the lightest parts of the painting, her face, hands, and collar. The hues used in this painting convey a sense of regality. The dark violet and eggplant tones of the dress fall nicely against the pale skin of the subject, purple being a color that is archetypally represented as royal. Texturally they also contrast with the darker parts of the painting, the ruffles of the collar are highlighting the light with their white and blue tones, causing the collar to appear softer. In comparison, the darkness emitting from the eggplant tones of the dress convey the feeling of something similar to crushed velvet, stiff and tense. The