Bust of Ingres

Bourdelle depicts Ingres naked, with no embellishment other than the force of his piercing gaze staring out from a face tensed in deep thought.

The torso, like the sculpture as a whole, has a chaotic surface.

The imprints left by the tools and even the marks left by the artist’s fingers can be seen, revealing the work with the clay prior to the casting of the bronze.

Still greatly influenced by Rodin at the time, Bourdelle left a tumultuous treatment of the surfaces apparent, marked by deep furrows.

Placed over the left shoulder, the drape serves to emphasise the nudity of the painter, thus portrayed as a heroic figure from antiquity.