Pierre Guillaume Cazeaux, half-length, seated at a desk 1798

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres made this portrait of Pierre Guillaume Cazeaux using graphite and white chalk. It is a study in value, in how the fall of light can describe a form. Consider the labor involved in the production of this kind of image. Ingres has rendered his sitter with remarkable economy of means. The clothing is described with minimal hatching, while the face and hands are more fully articulated. The very smoothness of the drawing implies a sustained burnishing process. Ingres has blended the chalk and graphite together, creating a soft, almost photographic effect. This kind of portraiture was a commercial proposition. Ingres had to be highly efficient in his technique, while still producing an object of considerable visual refinement. The work bears the hallmark of both industry and artistry. It challenges the traditional distinction between the two.