Head of Saint John the Evangelist

This Head of Saint John the Evangelist from 1837 at the Metropolitan Museum is likely a study for a religious composition. Ingres's devotional heads follow the Raphaelesque tradition of combining ideal beauty with spiritual expression. 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 head study demonstrates Ingres's refined technique in rendering the evangelist's features. The smooth handling and controlled expression create an image of youthful spiritual intensity.