The French painter Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot once said of his colleague, Jean-François Millet, "The father, the son, and the Holy Ghost of modern painting are Ingres, Delacroix, and Millet." While Ingres and Delacroix are often household names, Millet's contemporary Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres is perhaps not as well-known, but his legacy in the art world is no less significant.

Born in Montauban, France, in 1780, Ingres was the eldest son of a successful artist, Jean-Marie-Joseph Ingres. Growing up, he demonstrated a gift for drawing, and by the age of 13, he had enrolled in the Toulouse School of Fine Arts. From there, he went on to study in Paris at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, where he quickly established a reputation as one of France's most talented young artists.
Ingres was a master of the neoclassical style, characterized by its adherence to the principles of ancient Greek and Roman art. His paintings were known for their smooth, polished surfaces, and their idealized depictions of the human form. Ingress was particularly interested in the female form, and his portraits of women are some of his most famous works.
In 1806, Ingres won the coveted Prix de Rome, a scholarship awarded to the most talented young artists in France. The scholarship allowed him to spend several years studying art in Italy, where he was exposed to the Renaissance masters and developed his own distinctive style. He returned to France in 1824, where he soon received a commission to paint a portrait of Louis-François Bertin, a writer and newspaper editor. The painting, which depicts Bertin seated in a contemplative pose, is Ingres's most famous work, and is considered a masterpiece of French portraiture.
Ingres continued to work throughout the 1830s and 1840s, producing a number of notable paintings, including the famous "La Grande Odalisque," which depicts a reclining nude woman against a backdrop of Oriental textiles. In 1841, he was elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts, one of the most prestigious art institutions in France.
Ingres's work fell out of favor in the latter half of the 19th century, as new styles like Impressionism and Realism gained popularity. However, his influence on the development of modern art cannot be overstated. He was a master of technique, and his work was characterized by a meticulous attention to detail. In addition, he was a teacher to many aspiring artists, including the famed French painter Edgar Degas.
Ingres died in 1867, but his legacy lives on in the many artists who were influenced by his work. His paintings continue to be exhibited in museums and galleries around the world, and his contribution to the art world will always be remembered as one of the most significant of the 19th century.