Notes and Thoughts from the Workshop

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres's book, Notes and Thoughts from the Studio, is a compilation of the advice he gave his students in his studio, notes he kept for himself on art, artists, music, and theater, and remarks he made to his close circle. The book reveals not only a painter's thoughts but also the fundamental principles of an artistic approach.

Ingres emphatically stresses that artistic production must be based on a solid foundation. For him, drawing is a prerequisite for painting: “Draw extensively before you paint. If your building rests on a solid foundation, you will sleep soundly.” Drawing, painting, and especially imitating are indispensable ways for an artist to understand nature and form. “Draw, paint, and even more so, imitate, do it even if it's a still life. Every imitated part of nature is a work, and art is achieved through this imitation.”

Throughout the book, Ingres's aesthetic preferences and world of references are clearly felt. His admiration for Raphael and the classical tradition in painting, his devotion to ancient Greece, and the importance he attributed to figures like Gluck, Mozart, and Haydn in music reveal his holistic perspective, establishing connections between different disciplines of art. Notes and Thoughts from the Studio serves as a timeless resource for those who wish to understand the master-apprentice relationship, traditional art education, and the value of disciplined work.