Augustine-Modeste-Hortense Reiset

This portrait of Augustine-Modeste-Hortense Reiset from 1846 at Harvard shows Ingres's late portrait style. By this period, his portraits had achieved a monumental quality that combined his early precision with a broader, more confident handling. 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 portrait presents the sitter with Ingres's mature technique, combining precise contours with rich surface effects. The polished handling of costume and features demonstrates his sustained portrait mastery.