1810
oil
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
A Sleeping Odalisque is a 1810 oil by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, a Neoclassicism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
A woman lies on her side on red velvet. She faces away, one bare arm draped over the curve of her waist. Her skin glows smooth against dark shadows. This isn’t a mythical harem scene. Ingres painted her like a marble statue, cool and untouchable. The line from neck to hip feels drawn with a ruler. Look up Ingres, Jean-Auguste-Dominique next.
A nude female figure reclines full-length on a red sofa, her head lost in shadow, likely serving as a preparatory study for one of Ingres' recurring odalisque compositions. The work, possibly created in Rome between 1810 and 1830, reflects the artist's classical training under Jacques-Louis David and his engagement with the tradition of history painting. Its precise purpose and dating remain uncertain, though it aligns with Ingres' broader exploration of the reclining nude motif. The piece offers insight into 19th-century French academic practice and the era's depiction of high society.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres was a French Neoclassical painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic orthodoxy against the ascendant Romantic…
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