Fallen Angel 1847

Alexandre Cabanel painted this Fallen Angel using oil on canvas. Oil paint allows for a smooth, almost porcelain-like finish, visible here in the angel’s skin. Cabanel achieved this look through a meticulous process of layering thin glazes of paint, a technique mastered through academic training. The canvas itself, though hidden beneath the paint, provides a crucial support. Its weave creates a subtle texture that interacts with the oil paint, influencing how light is reflected. This highly refined method of painting was developed over centuries and relies on exploiting materials in a way that hides the labor. The sheer scale of the canvas also speaks to the aspirations of the artwork. Such large works would have been exhibited in public, where a master like Cabanel could demonstrate his skill. The painting's illusionism is made possible only by this careful attention to material and process. So, next time you look at an oil painting, consider the labor, the materiality, and the cultural context that made it possible.