OIL PAINTING: Madame de Senonnes, 1814
Ingres was a perfectionist to the point of obsession, seeking precision and mastery of form - particularly with regard to the costume and accessories. Ingres portraitpaintings are more than mere photographic records - the often painful and intense depiction of dress (painful because it sometimes gave Ingres great trouble) serves to create a new genre, the dress as an art form in its own right within the art form of the traditional portrait.