A monumental masterpiece of late Neoclassicism that took Ingres over twelve years of intermittent work to complete. Marie-Clotilde-Inès Moitessier, the wife of a wealthy banker, is depicted as the ultimate epitome of Second Empire high-society luxury. Her majestic posture, with a finger touching her cheek, was directly inspired by an ancient Roman fresco, "Hercules and Telephus," discovered at Herculaneum. Ingres achieves breathtaking material realism in rendering her lavish floral-patterned Lyonese silk dress, heavy gems, and smooth, porcelain skin, while the large mirror behind her reveals a perfect classical profile, beautifully enriching the composition's spatial depth.