Bust of a Gypsy Girl 1819

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres created this pencil drawing, titled "Bust of a Gypsy Girl" in 1819. Ingres lived during a time of significant social change, amidst the rise of Romanticism, which often exoticized marginalized groups such as the Romani. The term 'gypsy' itself is a loaded term, rooted in stereotypes and misconceptions about Romani people, reflecting the prejudice they have faced for centuries. This portrait presents the sitter through a lens of romanticism. While Ingres captures her physical beauty, we might also consider how the portrait contributes to the romanticized image of the ‘gypsy’ which flattens the diverse identities and experiences within the Romani community. How does Ingres’s "Bust of a Gypsy Girl" invite us to reflect on the complexities of representation, identity, and the historical context in which art is created and viewed? This image asks us to consider how cultural narratives are constructed and perpetuated through art.