Portrait of Madame Rhode (Rhoda?) 1810 - 1820

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres created this delicate graphite drawing, "Portrait of Madame Rhode" some time during his career. Ingres, celebrated for his Neoclassical precision, presents us here with something more intimate. This portrait offers a glimpse into the visual culture of 19th-century Europe. Madame Rhode is adorned with jewelry, she is also wearing a turban-like head covering. This "Orientalist" fascination was very fashionable at the time. Ingres’s portrait invites us to contemplate the intersection of identity, representation, and the artistic gaze. It reflects the complexities of cross-cultural exchange and the power dynamics inherent in portraiture. We may wonder about Madame Rhode's feelings and how her individuality may have either been captured or subsumed by societal expectations.