Pierre-François Bernier

This portrait of Pierre-Francois Bernier from 1800 at the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester is among Ingres's very earliest works. Painted when he was just twenty years old, it shows the precocious technical mastery that David recognized in his young student. Ingres built his oil surfaces through meticulous underdrawing in graphite, then applied smooth, controlled layers that eliminated all visible brushwork—a deliberate rejection of the painterly Romantic style of Delacroix.

The early portrait already shows Ingres's distinctive approach to portraiture. The careful observation of the sitter's features and the refined surface handling anticipate his mature portrait style.