- Date of birth: 29 Aug 1780
- Date of death: 14 Jan 1867
- Country: France
Biography:
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres born August 29, 1780 in Montauban, near Toulouse. The father being a sculptor and painter since childhood instilled in your child a love of creative pursuits, teaching singing, playing the violin and, of course, drawing. It is not surprising that among the paintings of the future classics of European academism can you find a drawing, made by him at the age of nine years.
Further training the artist received in Toulouse, at the local Academy of fine arts. Being rather impecunious, the young man earned a living playing in the orchestra of the Toulouse Capitol theatre. Upon completion of training at the Academy, seventeen-year-old Ingres sent to the capital, where his teacher becomes Jacques-Louis David. A recognized supporter of one of the leaders of classicism, David had a strong influence on the views and style of creativity of his talented student. But Ingres is quite fast away from blind inheritance manners classics and his mentor gave a classic system a new breath, broadened and deepened it, making a better match to the needs and requirements of the changing era.
Annually one of the Paris young artists historically had been given a Great Roman prize, the winner of which could for four years to continue studying painting at the French Academy in Rome. Ingres very much wanted to get her, but at the insistence of David award of 1800 went to one more to his pupil. There was a serious quarrel between Ingres and his mentor, the result of which was the departure of the young artist from the workshop of his master.
Perseverance and undoubted skills of the young painter enabled him to achieve in 1801, following the award of the coveted prize for the painting “the Ambassadors of Agamemnon from Achilles.” But the dream to travel to Italy and spend four years at the Academy in Rome failed to become a reality – the artist has had serious financial problems. Remaining in Paris, he attends a private art school to save on sitters. Trying to make money by illustrating books, the special was not successful, but drawing portraits on demand has proved highly profitable. But the soul of generous nature of Ingres was not lying to portraits, and it is up to the end of his life claimed to present his work these orders only in the way.
In 1806 Ingres finally was able to move to Italy, lived a long 14 years in Rome and 4 in Florence. Returning then to Paris, he opens his own school of painting. After some time, the 55-year-old master gets the position of Director Roman of the French Academy and is again in the Eternal city. But already in 1841 he permanently returned to Paris, where at the top of the fame and recognition survives until his death in 1867.