Juan, the Degas sketch of the Baroness Bellelli was done from life. She was his aunt. He stayed with the family for nearly eight months and completed studies of all the family members in the painting during this time.
The David paintings of Napoleon I was thinking of when I started this post were portraits, but you are right about the French Academy. Their training was amazing. History painting was considered the highest form of the art (portraiture of the social elite a respectable second - both of these distinctions would change) and yes, they were done from compilations of sketches and models and props. You will notice the figures in the paintings seem to have similar poses throughout decades of different artist's work. This was due to the fact heroic figures were painted from sketches of ancient Greek and Roman statuary. Professional models were even trained to assume the poses found in the ancient sculptures. Academy painters became so adept at painting these figures, their "final exams" consisted of executing a history painting from memory. Graduates-to-be were lined up facing a canvas. Each students canvas was partitioned off from the next student's by a curtain, or drapery, and here they were to execute a painting. Artists who could not compete in this genre were relegated to painting landscape, still life, or "genre" paintings, (peasants enjoying pastoral life and such.)
I have sworn off painting from photographs for now. The experience has been nothing short of frustrating as I don't have the know-how to make the painting look as if it were done from life and not a photo. Honestly, few people do. I don't know that the painting from studies will prove any more successful, but I do know more time in front of a live person will do me good. So, when I have a model I am drawing and painting from her. This coming semester I'm very excited about the fact I will be in front of a model 12 hours a week and I'm expecting a lot of progress from myself. (As long as I can beat back the "Oh it doesn't matter if the head is the right size... express yourself!" teachers.)
