The seventeenth-century Flemish artist Peter Paul Reubens and the nineteenth-century French artist Jean Auguste Dominque Ingres had little in common other than their occupation, as they both used very different styles in their art. Reubens' work is classified under the Baroque style, a period between 1600 and 1750 in contrast to the earlier perfection of Renaissance art, while Ingres' work falls under Neoclassicism, which praised the Greek and Roman classics that inspired Renaissance artists (Kleiner). However, the two time periods and separate painting styles that influenced the painters also share small similarities, through visual quality and iconography. Reuben's Portrait of Susanna Fourment and Ingres' Portrait of Françoise Poncelle clearly belong to specific artistic movements, but some aspects of the painting remain timeless, as each artist draws inspiration from previous works. Peter Paul Reubens' paintings were strongly influenced by the location of his studio in Antwerp. The city's banking sector led to an emphasis on the works a family could purchase, often within the upper-middle class rather than among the immensely wealthy. This emphasis allowed more time to be devoted to portraiture, in place of large church altarpieces or palace paintings, which could be displayed in family homes with more modesty. The Baroque period, a term derived from the Portuguese word “barroco,” or “pearl of irregular shape” (Kleiner), is known for its bright colors, emphasis on the relationship between reality and fantasy, theatrical quality and drama. Many of Reubens' paintings are allegorical, colorful, and inspired by numerous artists of the past and his current time. After the Renaissance period, artists took classical influence...... middle of paper...... This style of painting emphasized the natural human form instead of smooth finishes replacing thick swirls or dabs of paint to accurately convey the human form, which is explicitly shown in Ingres' portrait. Although both pieces are portraits, each portrays the subject in different ways. The hard lines and blurry features convey a mysterious attachment to Reuben's portrait, while the sharp lines and photographic details within Ingres' portrait give it a formal connotation. The demand for domestic patronage spread from Antwerp in the late 16th century to early 19th century France, but what makes a truly exemplary portrait shifted as time changed. Each work reflects the time period while continuing to explore the parallels between various artistic styles and movements, connecting artists to each other through their differences and similarities.