violon d’Ingres

ByFast French

The French saying “violon d’Ingres” literally translates as “violin of Ingres.” What it really means is “hobby,” “pastime,” or “an activity that you enjoy outside your main job.”

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres was a 19th century painter who created a number of famous works, including Grande Baigneuse (1808), Oedipus and the Sphinx (1808), and La Grande Odalisque (1814).

Outside of his talent for painting, Ingres was also a talented violin player. His violin playing was good, though not remarkable. For a while, he even played among the second violins for the orchestra of Toulouse.

This expression dates back to the start of the 20th century.

The nearest English equivalents are “hobby,” “avocation” and “to have a second string to one’s bow.”

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • pousser

    ByFast French

    The French verb “pousser” means “to push,” “to move,” “to push aside,” “to let out,” or “to grow,” among a variety of different meanings. The green sign in the photo means “Push to open.” To push: “Pousser” mainly means to push or shove. To grow: Expressions and Idiomatic Usage: Etymology: The French verb “pousser” traces…

  • verb: marcher

    ByFast French

    The French verb “marcher” has a variety of meanings, including “to walk,” “to function,” “to work,” “to tread,” “to go,” “to go for it,” and even “to fall for it.” To walk To tread To go To work, to function To go for it To fall for it Expressions

  • roman

    ByFast French

    What does the French word “roman” mean? Is it someone from Ancient Rome? Is it someone who lives in modern Rome? It’s neither – “roman” is the masculine noun meaning “novel” or “fiction” or “books.” “Le roman” also means “The Romanesque” period of architecture, from the 11th and 12th centuries AD. It can also refer…

  • | |

    derrière

    ByFast French

    The French word “derrière” can function either as a preposition, as an adverb or as a noun. Depending on which one of these three parts of speech it is being used as, it can mean “behind,” “after,” “shortly after,” “afterwards,” “bottom,” or “back.” It is the opposite of “devant,” discussed in this blog post. Preposition…

  • levée de boucliers

    ByFast French

    The French expression “levée de boucliers” literally means a raising of the shields. It dates back to ancient Roman times, when soldiers who opposed the wishes of their generals would raise their shields above their heads as a demonstration of their disapproval. Since the middle of the 15th century, this saying has come to mean…