Skip to main content

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 'Monsieur de Norvins', 1811-12

Key facts
Full title Monsieur de Norvins
Artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Artist dates 1780 - 1867
Date made 1811-12
Medium and support oil on canvas, mounted on wood
Dimensions 97.2 × 78.7 cm
Inscription summary Signed; Inscribed
Acquisition credit Bought, 1918
Inventory number NG3291
Location Room 45
Collection Main Collection
Monsieur de Norvins
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
/

Monsieur de Norvins had recently been appointed Chief of Police in Rome when Ingres painted his portrait in 1811. He is presented as a reserved, even forbidding, figure who closely scrutinises us as we look at him. Norvins’ loyalty to Napoleon is indicated by the gesture of placing his left hand inside his jacket, just like the Emperor.

However, following Napoleon’s fall from power in 1814 and the restoration of the monarchy, any overt evidence of loyalty to him would have been potentially damaging to both Norvins and Ingres, which led Ingres to make some changes. He added a length of red drapery to conceal what was probably a bust of Napoleon’s infant son, the King of Rome, which you can now see as a ghostly presence if you look closely at the left of the picture. As if to compensate for the lost bust, Ingres added a bronze sculpture of the Roman goddess, Minerva, on the right.

Download image
Download low-resolution image

Download a low-resolution copy of this image for personal use.

License this image

License and download a high-resolution image for reproductions up to A3 size from the National Gallery Picture Library.

License image
Download low-resolution image

This image is licensed for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons agreement.

Examples of non-commercial use are:

  • Research, private study, or for internal circulation within an educational organisation (such as a school, college or university)
  • Non-profit publications, personal websites, blogs, and social media

The image file is 800 pixels on the longest side.

As a charity, we depend upon the generosity of individuals to ensure the collection continues to engage and inspire. Help keep us free by making a donation today.

Download low-resolution image

You must agree to the Creative Commons terms and conditions to download this image.

Creative Commons Logo