Pierre Guillaume Cazeaux, half-length, seated at a desk

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres drew this portrait of Pierre-Guillaume Cazeaux in 1798 when the artist was just eighteen years old. The chalk drawing shows the sitter half-length, seated at a desk, demonstrating Ingres's early mastery of portraiture.

Though Ingres considered himself primarily a history painter in the tradition of Poussin and David, his portraits became his greatest legacy. This early work already displays the precise draftsmanship that would define his Neoclassical style. The drawing remains in a private collection and offers insight into the young artist's developing talent.