Grande Odalisque

A closer look

Ingres was a strict defender of drawing and classical form, yet here he freely distorted anatomy for the sake of elegance. Critics soon noticed that the woman’s back has too many vertebrae, her arm is too long and her pelvis too wide, but the long, unbroken curve of the body is exactly what gives the picture its languid grace. Exotic props, a peacock-feather fan, a turban and a hookah, evoke the fantasy of the Orient that fascinated European artists at the time.