Portrait of Bindo Altoviti

This Portrait of Bindo Altoviti from 1850 at the Musee Ingres is Ingres's copy after Raphael's famous portrait, reflecting his lifelong devotion to the Renaissance master. Such copies were acts of homage and study that sustained Ingres's commitment to the classical tradition he championed. 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...

The copy demonstrates Ingres's careful study of Raphael's portrait technique. His smooth handling and precise contours translate the Renaissance original into his own Neo-classical idiom.