Scholars have shown that Ingres was an avid collector of archeological material who stayed current with the latest finds and the literature in the field while purchasing works of Etruscan, Greek, Greco-Roman, and Gallo-Roman origin. These objects informed his study of the classical past and his depictions of mythological and historical subjects, which were rich with accurate details.
The two studies on this page may be copied by Ingres or one of his students after a printed source, as suggested by the inscription "CXIV," likely a plate number from a publication.