Study for Phidias in the Apotheosis of Homer

This study for Phidias in the Apotheosis of Homer from 1827 shows the great Athenian sculptor as one of the classical figures assembled in homage to Homer, alongside Raphael, Poussin, Molière, and dozens of others who represented the Western tradition's greatest achievements. By including the architect and sculptor Phidias — the creator of the Parthenon sculptures — alongside poets, painters, and playwrights, Ingres asserted the unity of all the arts under the inspiration of classical Greece. The study at the Degas Collection reflects the interest that later nineteenth-century painters took in Ingres's preparatory work, as Degas was among the most devoted admirers of his predecessor. Ingres's oil surfaces, built through meticulous underdrawing and smooth controlled layers, created the classical figure with his characteristic idealized precision. The study demonstrates how Ingres conceived his historical figures as both individual character studies and symbolic representatives of universal artistic values.

The figure study demonstrates Ingres's precise handling of the classical figure in his characteristic idealized manner. The smooth surface and controlled contours embody his vision of artistic perfection.