THE BATHER OF VALPINÇON BY JEAN AUGUSTE DOMINIQUE INGRES

The Bather of Valpinchen by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. Named after the collector who first bought the picture, Ingres' Bather of Valpinchen is a calm representation of classical beauty in the humman nude. Softened by the delicate reflected light, the bather suggests a cold, languid eroticism, made ambiguous by her refusal to meet the viewer's gaze. The only sound or movement is that of a small spout of water, and the Spartan interior seems to freeze the scene in time and space. Ingres was a superb draftsman, but remained emotionally detached from his subjects and showed little interest in the expression of the human face. The polished perfection of his work was inspired by his Renaissance idol, Raphael. A leading figure in the classical tradition of 19th-century France, Ingres painted many idealized and exotic oriental scenes with voluptuous nudes, although all the detail was second-hand, since he never traveled outside Europe.