Grande Odalisque

Grande Odalisque, painted by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres in 1814, is a quintessential example of the artist's mastery of Neoclassical style while incorporating elements that foreshadow Romanticism. The work depicts a reclining nude woman, her elongated body and unnatural proportions reflecting Ingres’s artistic liberties in pursuit of idealized beauty. The odalisque, a figure from the exoticized Orient, is presented with luxurious drapery and accessories that accentuate the sensuousness of the scene. The painting combines the classical precision of Ingres’s technique with the fascination for the exotic, creating a work that both adheres to and transcends traditional academic norms of the early 19th century.