The Fallen Angel (painting)

The Fallen Angel (French: L'Ange déchu) is a painting by French artist Alexandre Cabanel. It was painted in 1847, when the artist was 24 years old, and depicts the Devil after his fall from Heaven.[1]

The Fallen Angel
Artist	Alexandre Cabanel
Year	1847
Medium	oil on canvas
Location	Musée Fabre, Montpellier

The painting is part of the collection of the Musée Fabre in Montpellier, France.[2]

This painting, created in 1847, depicts a naked angel who appears to have tumbled from heaven and landed on some rocky terrain. The angel is rendered in a very idealized, classical style, with perfect musculature and a serene expression on his face. Despite the fact that he has clearly fallen from a great height, he seems almost unbothered by his predicament, resting his head on his hand and looking pensively off into the distance.

One of the most striking and controversial aspects of this painting is the fact that the angel is portrayed as male. Traditionally, angels have been depicted as androgynous or female, so this representation was quite unusual for the time. Additionally, the angel's nudity was seen as scandalous by many viewers, as it was not considered appropriate to show such a figure in such a state in a public space.

Despite - or perhaps because of - its unconventional aspects, "The Fallen Angel" was very popular when it was first displayed. It was praised for its technical mastery and its ability to evoke a feeling of otherworldliness and melancholy. Today, it remains a fascinating and haunting work of art that continues to captivate viewers.

Detail, depicting Lucifer in sadness and anger, featuring a single tear-drop.