Niccolò Paganini c. 1830

Editor: Here we have Ingres' pencil drawing of Niccolò Paganini, created around 1830. It has this delicate, almost ephemeral quality to it... almost as if he’s capturing a fleeting moment of brilliance. What captures your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: Fleeting is a lovely way to put it, and yes! To me, it's a quiet study in genius. See how Ingres uses those subtle lines? It’s not just Paganini's likeness he’s after, but something deeper... something of the almost unsettling energy that swirled around Paganini's performances. Those curls, that almost too-slight smile… almost mischievous, wouldn't you say? He's holding the violin so lightly, as though it were an extension of himself. It gives me the shivers! Editor: Absolutely mischievous. And that gaze feels so intense. What's so striking is how modern it feels. I’m also drawn to the sketchiness—it feels unfinished. Was that typical for Ingres? Curator: Ingres made hundreds, perhaps thousands, of portrait drawings. They were his bread and butter, of course, but, for him, drawing was where his art truly lived. The paintings are glorious things, yes, but drawings? With a drawing, an artist communes directly with the soul! Ingres was obsessed with line, distilling the essence of form... and of course, Paganini's essence *was* that electrifying virtuosity! It shines through! Editor: I’d never thought of it that way. Now I can almost hear the violin’s strains just looking at this drawing. Thank you for a new perspective on portraits. Curator: And thank you, my friend, for bringing your perceptive gaze to it! Made me feel as though I heard Paganini's notes too!