Michelle Ahern
The Grande Odalisque (fig 1) was commissioned by the Queen of Naples in 1814 as a counterpart to Ingres’s now lost Sleeper of Naples painting (Ockman 33). The image shown is a similar sketch to those created in preparation for the Sleeper of Naples (fig 2). To form his new Odalisque by order of the Queen, Ingres switches the position and posture of the reclining nude, now facing her long backside toward the viewer and exposing her piercing gaze from over her shoulder. The pose is similar to a painting made by Ingres’s instructor David, entitled Mme Recamier (fig 3).
