The Fallen Angel by Alexander Cabanel
Below, you see one of Cabanel’s signature pieces. It’s not one that served him particularly well during the course of his life, however. He was an academic painter at the time- he trained at a prestigious painting academy with stringent standards and guides as to what constitutes good painting.
The first thing I would like you to do is just look at the painting. Spend a few minutes carefully examining it. What is the subject of the scene? How are colors arranged? Keep in mind everything in this painting is carefully and thoughtfully planned- there are no accidents in the final piece. Why is the angel’s hair this color? What sort of plant is at his feet? Why that plant? Who is this angel? How do we know exterior to the commentary of the artist himself?
One of the most compelling questions we can ask is why was this painting was so poorly received?
